Dream Come True
by XGaaraxloverX
Summary: A redheaded prince is forced to wed someone he doesn't wish to marry. Rock Lee, a typical farmer, wishes he was more and apart of the castle grounds. To protect royalty and to become something more. Gaara wishes that he was among the common folk and become a no-body. What will happen when their paths cross, and dreams collide? LeeXGaara LeeGaa Rated M? RP with JapanEmoGirl.
1. Chapter 1

**JapanEmoGirl  
**Long ago, in the fair land in Suna, there was a King. He was a nice King, with a wife, and a son. His son is named Gaara. The three were very good to the kingdom, and town's people. Rumor started. Gaara was to be married to the first daughter of Konoha. So, to have it settled, the King of Konoha would often visit Suna, with his daughter, Sakura. Gaara didn't like Sakura much. "Gaara-kun," said Sakura, "where do you think you're going? Father won't like you wondering off. He said you have to stay with me."

**XxGaaraloverxX**  
Gaara was turning, just about to leave, not wanting to be in the same room with the girl he was about to be wed, only to pause when she spoke. He did shuttered, hoping to get away with leaving this awful castle, he was trapped. He didn't have any peace, no time for himself, and he didn't have the freedom he wanted. How he wanted to be free like the villagers; yes he had all of the money he desired, but what is the point of having it if you can't enjoy the current life?

But worse of all, was planned marriages. Wasn't it clear to his father that he had no desire to marry this girl? Freedom was one thing that he wanted most of all, but he just couldn't reach. With a dreaded sigh, he turned back around, walking to the window of this dreadful castle, watching some of his town's people working in the fields, "Nowhere, my-lady…" He knew that his father made him stay with the princess of Konoha, to get to know her better, but it only seemed to make him more distant to her. Perhaps if he was desperate enough, he could make a leap for it, and run. That is if his legs don't break from the fall. He was only about 3 stories up in the castle.

He ran his hand through his hair and sighed. Awaiting to listen to one of his future wife's rants on how her dress looks, or her day, was going. He just wanted to day to be over with, so when night falls, he could attempt to escape from this castle, once more, under the brush of night. Some of the times he escaped, but ended up getting caught by one of the guards, patrolling the streets, and was sent back to the castle, and ended up being locked in his room as punishment. He will succeed one of these days, and he won't' stop until he does.

**JapanEmoGirl**  
Sakura stuck up her nose, "Good. I don't want my handsome Prince getting in trouble." She walked over to him and put her hands on his chest, "It would not be wise at all to leave the castle. Who knows what dirty people are out there?"

She finished her flirting with a light peck on Gaaras cheek, getting some of her lipstick on him. Sakura back away and finished getting ready for her meeting with the King, "Now, how do I look? Be honest, please. I want to look my best for my father. Tonight is my birthday, so I have to get everything ready. I know you were not paying attention last meeting, Gaara-kun, so I will explain. Last meeting, my father said I had to look my best tonight. We are having a party, and inviting all the important people, and not those filthy Peasants. Honestly, how could someone live like that? So dirty, oh, and work? Simply dreadful."

**XxGaaraloverxX**  
Gaara gave her a shadowed glare from the corner of his eye, as his head was still faced towards those hard working people that he adored so much. He sighed again, mostly agreeing with her, just to satisfy her from not telling his father about leaving, "No, it would not be wise…" He completely disagreed with that, but he had to agree to it for now. But he made a grimace at the grace of her saying "Handsome Prince." He did not prefer himself to be called by such a title. He wanted to be a no-one. Everyone knew and respected him, just because of his father. Everyone would put on a show, and never treat him normally. It was always Gaara-sama this and Gaara-sama that…

His glare grew harsher, when she mentioned about the "dirty" people that she mentioned. Those dirty people paid the taxes to keep this castle standing, if it wasn't for them she wouldn't be a princess at all, she would probably tending to the farms as a cowhand or a pig feeder. She had no idea who these hard working people were. Gaara respected them, and it was obvious she did not, giving him more of the reason to dislike her even further.

When she pecked his cheek, he immediately moved a hand to rub it. Almost like it was mud or poison that kissed his cheek, as he resisted the urge to call out "Yuck." He hated getting those kisses from her, smearing her lipstick all over his face like he enjoyed it.

He rolled his eyes when Sakura began to ask about how she looked. Does she really want to know how he thought that she looked? Because I don't think that she really wants to know, his true opinion. He knew better than to call her something rude, it was his nature and the way her was raised to be kind to women, but she was a whole different picture. "Wwwonderfulll…" He said almost too dramatically, hoping that she would get the picture that he was lying. He started to ignore her as she started to explain about that boring meeting yesterday, only half listening. "Yeah, yeah, yeah…" But he paused when she started to insult his people once again. This time glaring right at her, as she spoke so poorly of them, like they were nothing but wild animals. He had to bite his tongue to keep from lashing out at her, but he kept his cool. "…Quite…" He growled out.

**JapanEmoGirl**  
Sakura, still going on and on about the party tonight, did not hear Gaara. There was a knock at the door, and Sakura answered it. Her footmen, Sasuke, stood there, and held out an arm for the pink lady, "My lady, the King wishes to see you know."

Sakura blushed and giggled like she always did whenever she saw Sasuke. She didn't really care that her supposed husband-to-be was standing behind her, "Alright, Sasuke-kun," she said, batting her eyelids at the raven haired male. She took his arm and turned back to Gaara, "Gaara-kun, you are not allowed at this meeting. You may do what you wish for now. Go visit your siblings at the barn, or something. I will not be back, sadly. So, you're going to have to wait for me. Do not forget the party in the ballroom tonight. I hate to have no one to dance with. Of course, I would have tons of people to, but father says I must dance with you, sense you are to be my husband. You don't have to come if you don't want, though. I always have Sasuke-kun here to dance with. Ta ta~"

With that, Sakura left with the older male, who rolled his eyes, and sighing. Obviously, he didn't like the idea of dancing with the gossiping Princess. Who would? Sasuke closed the door behind them. But, you could still hear the giggles from Sakura.

**XxGaaraloverxX**  
Gaara gripped his hair, praying to the lord himself to strike him dead, or at least cut his ears off to cease this punishment. The only relief that he got, was when a knock came to the door. He'd have to thank whoever it was to silence that woman. Dreadfully, it was Sasuke. He didn't like him either, but disliked Sakura even more due to her mouth; at least Sasuke knew when to shut up. Just by the looks of it, Sakura seemed to like him more than her actual husband-to-be. Good. Perhaps when he runs away from this awful castle he can leave her in the hands of him.

He said nothing as he watched the two leave the room, and sighed gratefully. "Thank you, my lord and savior…" He praised, as he turned back towards the window. Sulking about the life he wished to have. Perhaps he could meet up with his siblings down by the barn, grab a horse and practice some polo. Or, make a quick escape… He knew that if he stays in this castle, he would have to attend that dreadful ball, which he did not want to go to. He'd much rather stay in his room than to dance with that hated girl that he is supposed to call a wife.

He turned around and made his way out of the room, and down the long stony halls of the castle. His guards bowing and calling out "My Prince" with ever one he passed by. He sighed loudly, and eventually made his way outside into the stables, walking by his brother and strait to his horse. He grasped the animals halter and started to tack him up, to be ridden. With the clip of the saddle, and bridle, he walked past his brother again, and strait out towards the playing fields, and mounted. Perhaps he could put on a show, and then make another escape attempt. Depends on how many guards will show. He grabbed a pole and ball, and started to play. Never once speaking or looking at his siblings that were watching him from the edge of the playing field.

**JapanEmoGirl**  
"Some brother we have," said Gaaras brother, Kankuro. He leaned on the fence and locked his knee, putting weight on the other, "always so serious. Temari," he looked at his sister, "why is it that Gaara has to marry Sakura, and you can marry whoever you want? Aren't you the first born?"

Temari crossed his arms and kept her eyes on Gaara, "Well, father said that you and I are not, uh, 'fit' to be kings and queens. Gaara, on the other hand, is. He's calm, quiet, and polite. He doesn't speak unless spoken too, and do not ask for much. Though, I remember our little brother telling me, one day, that he didn't want to be a prince. I asked him why, but he didn't answer." Temari paused before she started again, "I'm not even sure if we should call him our brother. He does not really like girls. I do not remember a day were Gaara was awed by one."

Kankuro smirked, "You're right," To tease Gaara, Kankuro yelled across the field, "Who knew Gaara was 'playing for the other team'?!"

With a quick smack in the head by the elder sister, Kankuro laughed.

**XxGaaraloverxX**  
With a hard kick to the horses flank, he galloped strait on and leaned down to strike the ball into the goal post. He ran past it, and strikes it back behind him and turned sharply, trotting down to a stop, near the middle of the field. He played a good game, and managed to make at least 7 goals, with a few misleads from the tap. He wasn't the best at the game, but he was decent at it. He looked towards the fence line and saw his siblings, talking, he heard his brother yelling, and frowned at his out lashing. He didn't quite understand what his brother meant by "other team" but he should know that he is does not play for sport, he plays for fun, so he is in no such team, as his brother mentions. ;) . He cantered back to them, and halted in front of them, and dismounted. He was going to make his escape, but ended up quitting it when he saw a fresh batch of guards appear from the gates. They would surely catch him if he were to dash. "Guess I will just have to wait for tonight." He thought, as he led his horse back to the stables, nodding at his siblings, in greeting, but said nothing more.

He un-tacked the horse, and sent him back into his stall. With a dreaded sigh, he walked towards the polo field again, but this time much further away on the fence line than his siblings. He leaned onto the fence and stared off into the distance. At the houses that lined the distance and a fading sound of horse hoofs beating against the stony ground from the workers in the city. How he wish to join them, and be someone different, and best of all unknown. To be treated like a normal person, instead of a figure of power.

A frown graced his features, as he didn't even spare a passing glance at his siblings. They were always teasing him, and he didn't have time for such nonsense today. All he was thinking of, was how to escape before that dreadful ball.

**JapanEmoGirl**  
Hours passed. It was night, and the ball has begun. Sakura was in her red, fluffy dress. She searched for Gaara, or rather, glanced here and there for Gaara. Never really searching for him,

"Oh well," she fake sighed, "Seems as if Gaara did not show up. He was always such a loner. Never really thinking of others." She huffed. Sakura looked at her father, "Seems as though he is tired, father. He may have gone to sleep already."

The ball was filled with important people. The Pope, dukes and douches, horns men, footmen, Kings and Queens from both Suna, and Konoha. Anyone who worked at the castle and Gaaras siblings. Even they did not know where Gaara truly is.

Sakuras father looked around, "Yes, it seems he is not here. It's a disgrace, knowing full and well it is your birthday, dear. He should have come and did at least one dance with you. How foolish, and selfish. You may dance with whomever."

Sakura smiled and giggled, "Thank you, father." She giddily said, turning to look for Sasuke.

Meanwhile, in the village, a young man by the name of Rock Lee was finishing his work, "What a full day," he said, happily, "I sold so much fruit. It was wonderful." he hummed a happy tune, cleaning up the remains of his food. Once done, he closed up his stand. Lee placed a hand in his pocket, and lend up against the stand, looking in awe at the castle, "Someday," he said to himself, "I'll be good enough for the castle. For Princess Sakura. Maybe, I'll meet her in person. She's so beautiful; her personality must be beautiful, as well." He closed his eyes, and reopened them to see the clear night sky, "I better get home. I need to get some dinner."

Lee walked past many people, smiling and nodding in greeting. Again, the idea of the castle caught his mind. It's always been his dream to go to it. He had a feeling that dream would come true, very soon.

**XxGaaraloverxX**  
Gaara made a break for it when he managed to slip past security at the stables, and ran on foot. His body ached, and his breath heaved, as he dashed through the empty alleyways trying to avoid the guards that patrolled the streets. He knew where most of them would patrol, but whenever he least expected it, he would be caught. So he decided to stay by the ally's to stay hidden until he was in the clear. He had on an old raggy outfit to try and blend in with the crowd, he tried his best to hide his hair and facial features. Those would give him away in a heartbeat. For all he knew he was the only one to have such a bright red hairstyle, and eyebrow-less, aquatic colored eyes shrouded in dark rings. He had a hood, on but he kept his gaze down, as he finally made it to the edge of the city streets, heading towards the homes from the busy business town. "Yes…" He praised silently, as he ducked down and walked silently among the common folk. He was alone and no one treated him differently. He was the same. Just like everyone else.

He gasped as he peeked up to hear a guard, "Hey you. You look familiar." His feet went into overdrive as he dashed down another alleyway, desperately trying to run away from that dreaded lifestyle that threatened to drag him back. He had to run, and run fast. He had to get away. When he cut down another alleyway he thought he lost them, until he managed to reach open streets, again and ran into someone, toppling him over, as he fell right on top of him. He wasn't even looking where he was going; he was so concentrated on getting away.

Gaara gasped, as he pushed himself up with the help of the bystander's chest, he didn't say a word as he took a look at who he ran into. This fellow had a dark bowl cut that shone even in the dark of the night, with eyes to match. He was tall, and strong, just like he predicted the rest of his people to be. And he had an aura of kindness that leaked out of him strongly. He was a generous man, and it made him want to join his lifestyle even more. He gasped as he heard the stomping footsteps of the solders behind them. He must not have lost them as he thought. He turned back to the man, and got off of him quickly, pondering to say he is sorry or not. And wondering if he were to turn him in, or not. Would this guy even recognize who he is?

He took another glance, and blushed, when the man stood up.

**JapanEmoGirl**  
Lee stood and laughed. He rubbed the back of his head, "Guess that's what I get for not looking where I was going." He looked at what he had ran into, "I'm sorry, I should of been paying more attention to my surroundings."

Lee could see this man was tense, and saw him looking back in froth to the guards coming this way. Lee guessed he was running from them. Those guards, always running after the innocent. Lee took the boys arm, and whispered in his ear, "Follow my lead." Lee dragged the stranger towards the guards, "Evening!" He said to them and walked past them, completely covering the other male. Lee, once far enough from the men, stopped and smiled, "Well, we're gone from the mean men." Even though he couldn't see his face, Lee felt odd around his man. Like, something was pulling towards him.

**XxGaaraloverxX**  
Gaara gasped harshly, when he felt the other man grasp his arm and practically shield him from the guards. And the great thing is, they bought it. They said back, "Evening." And walked off like he wasn't even there. Perfect.

He didn't know what to truly say to this man who saved him. He could have been a thief, or a killer. But he kindly protected him, and brushed off the fact that he knocked the poor man over. The least he could say was thank you. He reached up and pulled down his hood, uncovering his bright red hair, looking up at the taller male. He was always very protective of what he says, and didn't like to speak without being spoken too, but this time he would make an exception. He didn't know why, but he felt somewhat attracted to this person who saved him.

But, would this person even recognize who he was? Would he immediately turn him in for a ransom of cash, and the king to be known as the hero who brought back the kings son? He knew that he shouldn't have uncovered his identity, but he didn't want to be rude and at least thank him for the trouble that he has caused this poor man. "Thank you…"

**JapanEmoGirl**  
When Lee saw what the young lad looked like, his breath caught up in his throat. It seemed like the angels themselves were singing, and the moonlight bounced perfectly off his face. His red hair was so beautiful, but his eyes were what caught his attention the most. The color and shape was just so perfect. Lee could swear he was dreaming, but he knew he was not.

"Oh, my," That's all Lee could say to this beauty. He was more beautiful than... that girl he was thinking of earlier. Gosh, Lee couldn't remember her name at the moment. All he can remember now is this boy, this face in front of him now, "you are the most beautiful person I've ever seen. Why must you shade yourself in a hood?" Lee smiled at the shorter male, "I must know your name, fairest lad."

**XxGaaraloverxX**  
Now that he was uncloaked, he managed to get an even better view of this man who saved him. It was dark, but he could still see the features of this man through the moonlight. A blush matched his hair, when he took notice of the man's features. The redhead only stood to his shoulders, he was so tall. The man was of a tanner skin tone, unlike his own pale complexion, it shows that he has been working out in the fields. He was wearing an average outfit for a business man that owned a farm and sold produce, a simple light brown tee with old tattered jeans. His hands looked rough and calloused, signaling a life of hard work, complete opposite to his own untouched skin. This man had what he wanted the most, freedom. Not only that, he had the looks to boot.

Gaara swallowed thickly, he didn't understand what he was feeling at this moment. He felt warmer, and a strange feeling was in his stomach, like a bunch of butterfly's fluttering around. His heart was doing leaps, and his palms were a bit sweaty. He has never felt like this before, but has read about it before, it was something called love. But that was impossible! This is another man! One of the same gender as he! Perhaps that is what his brother meant when he called out that he "Plays for the other team." Could he possibly be… Gay? It was forbidden in this land to become one of those, especially to the king's son, but he couldn't deny his heart.

He jumped slightly when the man spoke out a stunned word. Eyeing around to see if more guards appeared, but the other man's gaze was still locked on him. It was lucky enough that he didn't recognize him from his looks of who he really is; perhaps not many people did after all. He doesn't go out, or attend to many balls or parties from the castle. Gaara's eyes widened when he heard this man speak of him in such a wonderful manner. "B-Beautiful?" he thought, as he stared at the man in disbelief. He has never been called that before. He was taught that women are supposed to be beautiful, and men are supposed to be handsome. Well it was true, since this other man was very handsome.

When he asked him for his name, Gaara almost cursed under his breath. If he didn't recognize him from his looks, he would surely recognize him from his name. The whole city of Konoha and Suna was to know of the be-wedding of Gaara Sabaku and Sakura Haruno. He had to think of a fake name. He couldn't afford to get caught now, he has never gotten this far before. He looked around and saw a sign that says "Gerald" and looked back at those caring black eyes. As soon as he caught gaze, he spoke out. "G-Gaara… N-No! I-I mean… uh-!..." Damn it! He screwed this up! Now he'll be caught for sure!

**JapanEmoGirl**  
Lee took note of the shorter males silence for a moment. Did he screw up by saying he was beautiful? Oh, Heavens, Lee hope he didn't. He admits not every male wants to be called 'Beautiful' by another male. Lee doesn't think any male wants to be called 'Beautiful' at all. But, Lee couldn't help it; this redheaded man was drop dead gorgeous. He had to speak it out. But, from the blush on his cheeks, Lee thought he didn't mind.

Still waiting on his name, Lee kept his eyes on him. Watching him struggle and look around. Does he not know his own name? Does he have a name? Dear, God! Lee asked for the name of a nameless person! What if he was offended?! What if he walks away right now and his last thought of Lee would be that he was a jerk?! The raven haired male didn't want him to leave! Not yet! Not ever!

Then, he heard him spoke. Lee tilted his head. Was he stuttering on his own name? Why? It's a beautiful name. Gaara, "Gaara? My name is Lee," Lee lifted Gaara's hand, kissing it softly; "I'm very pleased to meet you. You must be new to the Kingdom. Do you have a place to stay? Perhaps, you can stay with me."

**XxGaaraloverxX**  
Gaara swallowed, readying to be dragged back to that dreadful castle that he hated so much, when he blinked and looked at the other man. He looked happy, and satisfied with his answer, and best of all, he didn't immediately shout out "Hey you're the Prince!" Instead he just introduced himself, and best of all, he grasped his hand within his own. When he lifted it to his own lips, he felt like one of those princesses from the movies, meeting their prince charming. He even made a story for him to stick by. Lee didn't need to know who he really was, right?

"Y-Yeah… I-I just got a little lost… I-I-I would love to stay with you." That was right; he didn't even think this through enough. What would have happened if he had gotten away? What would have happened if he managed to slip by on his own without running into this man? He would be no-where. He would have no food, or shelter, or water. He would be homeless. He was extremely lucky to run into this man, literally, and allow him a place to stay.

He swallowed, and grasped Lee's hand back. Giving a gentle smile, "It is really nice to meet you, sir-Lee. Where is it that you live?" He grabbed the long cloak that he was wearing, and wrapped it neatly around himself. Glancing around, nervously just in case they were to meet anymore solders, he was sure that Lee would protect him, though. "O-Oh a-and uh… Th-Thanks for saving me back there…"

**JapanEmoGirl**  
Lee gave a charming smile, and let go of Gaaras hand, a little sad to do so, "No, no," Lee chuckled, "I am not a 'sir'. My father is a 'sir'. I am just Lee."

Lee took a step forward, and put up his arm, wanting Gaara to take it, "I do not live far from here. I will lead you," The raven haired male watched Gaara put on his cloak, "And, you're welcome, sir-Gaara." he teased playfully, adding sir to his name.

**XxGaaraloverxX**  
It appears that Lee's smiles were quite addictive, as a small smile seemed to peek from the usual stoic face. Lee was a real charming man. Strangely, his hand felt so cold, and lost, without the warmth that Lee brought upon while he was holding his hand. Gaara blinked when Lee reinstated his title; he was not a sir? Surely, this wonderful man had to be married? Apparently, not. With a blush, he lowered his head in a sorry, "My apologies, Lee."

When Lee took a step towards him, it made the height difference even more noticeable, as Lee offered an arm for him to take. He swallowed, only knowing what to do since Sakura had to take his arm before. He slipped his own arm around Lee's, and used his other to gently touch the bend in Lee's arm, just as a woman would do to a man. It was only Lee being a complete gentleman that he knew to treat others with respect. It made him smile. He allowed the older male to lead him through the city streets, and to his home. He wondered where he lived. Would he live on a decent lot of land with a small stable, and a plot of a field to grow his produce? He didn't plan to stay long; he didn't want to burden the man any more than he already has.

He blinked when Lee teased him through his speech of a marriage title. If he were to get caught, he would have to be known as a 'Sir-Gaara' soon, but he hoped to god that he didn't have to be called by such a title, but Lee didn't have to know about his upcoming marriage, yet. That is until he gets to know him a bit better. He already felt so attracted to the other man, like he has known him for years. But, if Lee even remotely knew who he was he would have definitely have thought twice about teasing him in such a term. But he was happy. Happy that Lee does not know him. Happy that he is a complete stranger, and treated as a normal person. It made him feel like he fit in, and not treated with the robotic sense of respect because of his title.

"Oh, ha-ha, very funny~." Gaara giggled back. Happy to openly joke, since he has never done so before. Everything was always seriousness, and never playing or joking around. Now he can relax and stop being so stuck up.

**JapanEmoGirl**  
Lee smiled at Gaaras giggle. But then, another problem came into his mind, "Gaara-kun," he started, but didn't know how to finish.

Lee hasn't been home in years. He left his house years ago to learn the act of fighting, so it's been over five years sense he's been home. Of course, he remembers where it is, but he just got back this morning, and went straight to his stand, which was watched over by his good friend, Naruto. Lee doesn't remember if he left it clean, or dirty. He doesn't know if there is dust everywhere, or if Naruto was nice enough to go and clean it for him. He was a little afraid of what Gaara would think of his house. What if it was messy? Would he not care? Would he be disgusted? To Lee, Gaara seemed like a man who was raised 'Full Class'. Just by the way he walks and acts. Must be the son of riches.

"I have to warn you," Lee finally got his words out, "I have not been home in over five years, so, I have no idea if my home is messy or not. If it is, I am deeply sorry."

**XxGaaraloverxX**  
When his name was spoken, he looked up at the taller male and replied "Yes, Lee-san?" His eyebrow furrowed a bit at the –kun that was put at the end of his name. He has never heard of his name spoken like that before. It was always a –sama. He like it, though, it seemed to suit him, well; he immediately brought on that small smile as he awaited for Lee to respond in finishing his sentence.

Lee warned him about the mess that his house may lay in. And five years he hasn't been home? Then he will expect at least a few layers of dust here and there, but nothing to go completely out of disappointment. He gave a caring smile, and cautiously leaned his head onto Lee's upper arm, and spoke "Dirt and grime does not faze me, Lee-san. For, I need to get away from the cleanliness of my previous life. Do not worry about me; I can handle a few specks of dust. If you would like, I could assist you in cleaning, if it is as bad as you say, Lee-san." He would be glad to help Lee clean up if his house was a bit messy. It was the least he could do for allowing him to stay; he just would have to remember how to clean. Back at the castle, whenever he would get something dirty, he would go and fetch some cleaning materials, only to come back to a spotless scene, as if the dirty area never happened. The worker at the castle did their job well, almost too well.

When Lee apologized he turned towards the older male and smiled again, "No apologies needed."

**JapanEmoGirl**  
The raven headed male looked at Gaara, and smiled, "You are to kind, Gaara-kun."

Lee and Gaara reached Lee's little house. Seriously, it looked like the Little Old Woman lived in a shoe lived here before she had her third child. It was a small house. Looks kind of like a hut. But, Lee did have an attractive yard. A nice little water mill was flowing neatly across Lees left side of the yard. If you look close enough, you can see small koi fish in there. A small garden of fruits and vegetables was beside it. On the other side was a big tree, perfect for children to play on. Around it, were small flowers. Rare flowers you barely see around this time of year and where Konoha is. The house had a small walkway, which was faded grass and dirt. Lee really has to fix that, now that he's home.

"This is my house," Lee said, and walked up to the door. He grabbed the handle, and pushed it open. Since he lived little ways outside the town, he didn't see why he should have a lock. The house is well hidden. He stepped in the house, seeing the lights were on and someone on his couch. He walked over to it and sighed, "Naruto, what are you doing here?"


	2. Chapter 2

**XxGaaraloverxX  
**When Lee lead him up to a cozy little home, he couldn't help to notice how cute the house looked. He was so used to extravagant things, and such, that it was nice to see something completely different for a change. The house wasn't overly large like the horrid castle, it seemed just right for around 2-3 people to be cozy in. Lee's yard, however, was beautiful. A small little working water mill was rolling away on the waters tides, and some little baby koi's were playing in the water. His garden was a smaller one than he expected, but he knew that it was hard to raise a whole farm by himself, so it seemed to suit him. He had little tomatoes, corn, carrots, and many other types of fruits and vegetables growing in the small garden, and they all looked ready to eat, and so nice and vibrant in color. The tree looked almost as old as the land, but so sturdy and strong, just like Lee is. Beautiful flowers grew around the tree in a stunning show of colors and variety. "Your yard is so beautiful." He wasn't even fazed in the least with the faded walkway. He was tired of seeing stone, dirt is something that brought relief anyways.

When they stepped inside, he noticed immediately that a light was on, and someone was occupying the house. He halfway hid behind Lee, afraid if it was a burglar or a relative to Lee. Or worse, a lover. This put a pang on his heart, to know that Lee was already taken. He should have known, he was not married, but he was still in a relationship with someone. He frowned, and looked down with sadness, when Lee spoke out of what this person was doing here in his house. He knew that if this "Naruto" was in this house they had to be together somehow, and it only broke his heart more. He pulled his hood up and kept hidden from the view of the other person. Did this other person know who he was? Perhaps if Lee didn't know then this other person would know who he is, just by the looks. He didn't want to go back, not now, he didn't want to be turned in.

**JapanEmoGirl**  
"Oi! Bushy-brows! Don't sneak up on me like that!" Naruto yelled. He was dozing off on the couch after a long day.

Lee just gave Naruto a poker faced look, "Answer my question, please."

The blonde smiled and stood up. He gave Lee a quick hug, "Geez, Bushy-Brows! Can't a guy come over to his buddies house and clean up a bit! You needed it. You've been so far away from home for so long, bugs and dust was starting to get all in your stuff!" Naruto laughed, thinking of the ways Lee would become scared by seeing a spider in his bed, "You're lucky I'm a good friend!"

Lee laughed, "Thanks, Naruto. The last thing I wanted to do was clean when I got back. Cleaning my stand is a whole different story."

Naruto looked behind Lee, "Oi, Bushy-Brows. You have something clinging to ya'." he said, pointing at Gaara.

**XxGaaraloverxX**  
Gaara gasped when he felt the other man in the house walk up to Lee and hug him quickly. They didn't speak to one another like lovers, but they did act like they knew each other well. It made him feel left out.

Until the blond, ended up pointing at him, ultimately making him shy away behind Lee even more. He clung to Lee's arm out of fright a bit, and out of shyness, He was never good with introductions. He didn't want to give away his identity to too many people. Word can spread, and he could be discovered if the word gets to the guards. He didn't know whether to trust this man, or not. It seemed that Lee and this "Naruto" were good friends, but Gaara always had his doubts.

**JapanEmoGirl**  
Lee turned to see Gaara, and a smile found it's why to his lips, "His name is Gaara. He's new to the town, and I offered him a place to stay."

Naruto snapped his fingers, knowing that there is only one Gaara. It was a made up name, after all. Naruto nudged Lee in the side and wiggled his eyebrow at him, "Man, Bushy-Brows. First, Princess Sakura, now Prince Gaara? What, you have a dream to be a King?"

Lee rolled his eyes, "What are you talking about? What about Princess Sakura, and who's Prince Gaara?"

Nartuto blinked, "Oh yeah, you were gone the whole time it started. Prince Gaara here is betrothed to Princess Sakura. He's the Prince of Suna."

Lee blinked, "So much can happen when you're gone..." he then jumped from Gaara and bowed before him, "I-I'm so sorry for my rudeness! Please forgive me!"

**XxGaaraloverxX**  
Gaara almost cussed under his breath when he was spotted by the blond boy. He hasn't even shown his identity yet, but it seems as if he was joking at the moment. Especially when he mentioned that awful Sakura, he couldn't help but to frown in distaste. But his heart almost snapped when he mentioned that Lee like Sakura. He thought that he was the same as he was, but obviously he was as straight as a stick to like someone like her.

When he felt Lee pull away quickly in recognition, he knew that he was caught for sure. He jerked his head up in shock, making his hood fling back as he watched the respect come rolling in. "N-No! I-I…" He bit his tongue, now he really is going to get back to that dreaded castle. He didn't know what else to say, and he just noticed that he has exposed himself to the other male in the room. He gave a worried look straight towards the blond male, and back at Lee.

**JapanEmoGirl**  
Naruto walked over to Gaara and put his arm on his shoulders, "Whoa, Redheads got some looks~. Why don't you come over to my place? Bushy-Brows needs some time to recover from his overly long learning session."

Lee almost growled as Naruto touched Gaara. He grabbed Naruto's arm and yanked him away, "I was learning to fight, so I can protect my loved ones. I don't need rest, I'm fine," he stood next to the redhead, "Gaara-kun will stay with me."

Lee and Naruto didn't seem fazed at all that Gaara was a Prince, "And, for the record," Lee started again, "I don't like Princess Sakura. That was in the past. It was a simple, childish, crush. Now that I've become a man, I don't see the reason to like someone I can't have."

"Nah. You can have that pink haired bitch if you wanna-... me thinks you like someone new!" Naruto blurted out, and made Lee's face turned red, "Tell me! Is it TenTen? Hinata? Ino?"

**XxGaaraloverxX**  
A hand managed to touch his lips in awe, goodness this man was bold! He actually had the nerve to touch the prince of Suna like that, AND ask him to come over to his place? Absurd! Gaara was about to stand his ground, before Lee managed to growl out and yanked the other man away. The redhead only swallowed thickly when he heard that Lee has been training during his time away, so he knows that he is surely protected, under this man. But they still seemed to have no notice to Gaara's status, which made him feel a bit more in the crowd.

When Lee mentioned that he didn't like Sakura, he gasped and looked right at Lee with a questioned gaze. "He doesn't like Sakura…? Th-Then who does he like?" he thought, as his wish was staring to come to a dim and getting brighter.

When Naruto started to talk, he mentioned about her being what she truly is, Gaara almost blurted out a "Tell me about it" but managed to bite his tongue enough for him not to say it. They just don't know how horrible she really is. "He likes someone new?" He thought as he glanced between Naruto and Lee, hoping that Lee would say a no to all of those other female names mentioned form Naruto.

**JapanEmoGirl**  
Lee sighed and rubbed the back of his neck, "No, Naruto. I do not feel anything more than friendship with those girls, or any other girl. Will you just leave?"

Naruto put his hands up, "Okay, geez. I'll stop, but I won't leave. Not yet. I gotta do this! I've always wanted to!" Naruto ran outside, leaving Lee and Gaara in the house alone.

Lee sighed and looked at Gaara, "Sorry for his rudeness, and for, um, insulting your wife-to-be..." The raven haired man was losing hope and gaining sadness when he thought of the smaller male getting married. By now, Lee knew he was Bisexual. Who doesn't? It seems everyone in Konoha has the hot's for someone of the same gender. But, it is forbidden, so no one made it public. They were always afraid a guard might see them.

Was Naruto right? Did Lee have a secret dream to be king...? Impossible, Lee loved the way his life was. Sure, he'd love to be in the castle. To explore and such. Meet the Princess. Naruto kept saying Princess Sakura was rude, but he's never met her. So, he wouldn't know.

Naruto finally came back in, and held out a flower to the Prince, "For you, Gaara-sama," he bowed, "rethink my offer. I'll be waiting." With a wink, Naruto ran out the door laughing. Lee chasing him.

"Show some respect!" Lee yelled and slammed the door closed. He rubbed his temples, "Oh, Naruto..."

**XxGaaraloverxX**  
Gaara's sad look seemed to dissipate as soon as Lee mentioned that he didn't have feelings for those women. It made his heart jump, and made those feelings that he hoped for to make a dream a reality. He could very much have feelings for this man.

Gaara blinked when Naruto dashed out of the house, and turned to Lee, as he did to him. "No… Naruto is actually right. I do not wish to be-wed such a wretched woman. Perhaps all of the things that your friend has told of her are possibly true. I do not like her at all. No hard emotions, towards my wife-to-be, call her what you may. It does not affect me at all." He spoke, hoping to bring upon a message to the black haired male in the room with him.

Aquatic eyes moved towards the sound of rushing feet, as Naruto appeared again. This time, a flower was bestowed upon his grace. It was beautiful, with a sheen of a newly dew that made it gleam. Instinctively, he grasped it from Naruto's grasp, and twisted it around in his hand by the stem. He gave a soft smile to the majestic flower, and turned towards Naruto. "Thank you." But his smile turned into an irritated frown when Naruto wanted him to think of his offer from earlier. This man had no chance with him, he should know that, but it was thoughtful to give him such a gift to offer up for it. It would have been better if Lee did it, though, he probably would have said yes. Oh wait… he did say yes. He is already in his house for goodness sake!

As Naruto hightailed-it out of there, Lee was right on his tail and yelled at him to show some respect, to the Kings son. Gaara couldn't help but to give out a light giggle, "Do not worry about your friend. He is… charming. Quite funny, but a bit bold if you ask me." He felt at home already, except it was only better.

**JapanEmoGirl**  
Lee laughed, "Yeah. I wish he was as brave with ghosts and witches," Lee paused for a moment. Gaara was in his house. PRINCE Gaara. Lee kind of got the thought that Gaara did not want to be treated like a Prince, so Lee did as he wished, "don't worry. He was kidding about you coming to his house. He does that to all the pretty people- Would you like some water?" he asked, quickly changing the subject after he called Gaara pretty. Which was true.

Lee walked into his kitchen and waited for Gaara's response. So, Gaara does not like Princess Sakura? That gave Lee even more hope. Sakura is a real life bitch? Lee would have never guessed. He's glad he stopped liking her, then. Now, he's come to terms that he's gaining feeling for this redhead. Something about him was different. Lee doesn't understand why, though.

**XxGaaraloverxX**  
Gaara gave a curt smile at Lee's mention of Naruto's bravery. Lee seemed to be a bit more respectful than his friend was, but he could see how they became friends. When Lee mentioned that Naruto offers stays at his house with all of the "pretty" people, aquatic eyes widened at the mention. Did Lee consider him "pretty?" He didn't want to press the subject, since Lee seemed to change it dramatically after he mentioned it, so he kept a mental note of it to ask later.

He didn't know Lee's house, and didn't want to be rude and snoop around, so he fallowed Lee into the kitchen. It was a small and cute little countryside kitchen. With average utensils and appliances that lined up next to the counter. It wasn't the super extravagant kitchen at the castle with unnecessary huge stoves and such that would fit a family of fifteen. But it was a nice cozy place to cook and prepare a meal. "Water would be nice, please." He asked as Gaara walked to the little table set in the edge of the kitchen. It was a table for two, with a small square table between two chairs. He placed the little flower that Naruto gave him on the table. It seems that Lee did live alone. Naruto didn't appear to be his lover, only a good friend. So Lee lived all alone?

**JapanEmoGirl**  
Lee smiled and got two glasses out. He turned the sink on and poured the water. Once he was done, the water stopped without him turning it off, "Hmm. Seems I have to go to the well in the back yard to get more water tomorrow," Lee shrugged and carried the glasses to Gaara, placing one in front of him and sat on the other chair, taking a sip of the water.

"I'm sorry, Gaara-kun, there's something I've forgotten!" Lee suddenly said, "I only have one bed in this house right now. I meant to get another to the guest room, but I never got to it. You may sleep on my bed tonight, and I shall sleep on the couch."

'Or, we could share a bed~' Inner Lee said. Lee caught it, and yelled at him in his mind. No way was he saying that in front of the Prince.

**XxGaaraloverxX**  
Gaara looked over when Lee spoke of the water turning off by itself, also hearing if when the water stopped running. Ah, the lifestyle of an average citizen. They have to attend to so much things that the castle doesn't even give a second glance too. They don't have to worry about the water system since it comes strait form the well source and they had plenty of it.

It made him smile knowing that Lee was a hard worker. Gaara grasped the glass of water, and sipped it gingerly, with is pinky out. It was normal for him to do so, since he was raised that way. Gaara almost dropped the glass when Lee yelled out with a shock. Luckily, he put his glass down before that happened. "No, No, Lee. It is your house. You sleep in your bed. I'll take the couch. I do not wish to disturb you from your own house."

'Or, we could share a bed~' Inner Gaara thought, making Gaara blush, and shake away the thought. There was no way that Lee would ever want to sleep in the same bed as him. He didn't even know for sure if he even felt the same. "Please, Lee-san, I insist. I'll sleep on the couch tonight." He said with a slight frown, he would ask to sleep with him, he would be quite lonely, but at least he would have a place to sleep for the night.

**JapanEmoGirl**  
Lee shook his head, "Nope!" He stood up and smiled, finishing his glass of water and putting it in the sink, "That will not do. My mother raised me to be a complete gentleman. I will not let you sleep on that couch. It will disturb me if you do so. SO, you will sleep in my bed."

Lee sat back on the chair and gave a toothy grin at the Prince.

**XxGaaraloverxX**  
The prince gave a pout back to the stubborn male in the room. He wasn't one to give up fights. He usually wins the argument, but this time he didn't know if he wanted to win or not. Lee was a good fighter, and didn't seem to back down at all from losing. Perhaps if he couldn't win verbally, he could win physically. "I will not allow the owner of the house to not be able to sleep in his own bed, Lee-san. I am sorry, but I must concur with your decision." If Lee didn't want him to sleep on the couch then he would have to drag him off. It just didn't seem right to allow Lee to sleep on the couch. He didn't want to be anyone special, even though he was the prince.

Gaara decided to walk out of the kitchen and find the sofa for himself. It was a small home, so it was relatively easy to find, as he walked out and found his way into the living room. With a firm "hmph" he sat down on the couch, and crossed his arms with a leg folded, femininely. "I am sleeping here tonight, Lee-san." He didn't mean to sound stuck up but he had to try and win this one little battle with his newest friend.

**JapanEmoGirl**  
Lee tried to hold back a giggle at Gaara's stubbornness, "Gaara-kun," Lee started and followed him out the room. Who knew the Prince was like this. He thought a Prince would want to sleep in a bed instead of a couch, "then, I shall sleep in here also."

Lee jumped to the floor, dragging the couches blanket with him. He snuggled up in it and looked at Gaara, "That way. We both win and lose."

**XxGaaraloverxX**  
Gaara sighed. Lee was just as stubborn as he was. His eyes widened when he saw Lee jump onto the floor and drag the blankets with him. Even though he lost a bit, he couldn't contain the smile and the light giggle from his expression. Lee was truly a gentleman. "Fine, fine… You win, Lee-san. If we are to sleep in the same room, wouldn't it be much nicer to be upstairs in your room?" Not only was it warmer upstairs, but from what he could see there was only one blanket in the room, and perhaps he could make a silent offer to rest in the same bed as Lee, only if he was willing of course. "Besides, it is a bit chilly down here, won't you join me upstairs?" He asked as he held his arms and rubbed them, simulating that he was cold, and tilted his head in a questionable manner. Would Lee take the bait?

**JapanEmoGirl**  
Lee began choking on nothing. He sat up and tried to contain his coughing. Once done, he looked at Gaara. His mind was shouting "YES, YES! LET'S GO RIGHT NOW!" But, was it really okay to sleep in the same bed as this man?

"Um," Lee didn't know how to answer, "if you say it is okay, then I accept your offer." Lee saw Gaara's chills and stood up. He put the blanket around Gaara, "Which all those clothes you wear, it's hard to imagine you cold." He teased.

**XxGaaraloverxX**  
As Lee began to choke, he inwardly panicked; did he say the wrong thing? Gaara was about to take back what he said when Lee answered back with an "Um" making him pause, and look at Lee for an answer.

When he accepted it, a smile graced his features, and he stood up bowing bit in thanks. Naturally he was a person that got cold very easily, and no matter how warm it really was, if he didn't have a blanket on him he would be freezing. He looked up when Lee, kindly, put the blanket onto his shoulder, in which Gaara gratefully grabbed it and wrapped it around himself. "You would think. But I get cold very easily. The castle is usually heated and it is very hot, and I have just gotten used to it. I am not very fond of being cold." He knew it was a tease, but it was true. He hated to be cold, and perhaps being with this other person would make this experience nicer, and best of all warmer.

**JapanEmoGirl**  
Lee nodded, saying he understood, "I've gotten used to the cold, and heat. My trainer would always make me train outside, whether it snowing, or raining. Got sick a couple of times," Lee laughed at the memories, "I'll give you a tour of the house. You found out by yourself that this is the living room, and the kitchen just down the hall."

He walked out the hall, making sure Gaara was following him, "Right next door is the bathroom, and upstairs is my bedroom, and the soon-to-be guest bedroom," Lee walked up stairs, and stopped at the top, "I'll let you borrow some of my clothes for tonight. I'll wash your clothes tomorrow morning, okay?"

**XxGaaraloverxX**  
Gaara listened to Lee's little tale of his training. His eyes grew concerned. It was not safe to get sick like that, poor Lee. He seemed to laugh it off though, and Gaara lightly chuckled with him, glad that Lee enjoyed the memories of his training.

As Lee led the tour, Gaara gripped onto the blanket tighter, and fallowed. He nodded making sure to remember where the rooms were located in the house. It wouldn't be too hard. It wasn't hard to find as his castle back at home. Nice and simple, is what he liked.

As Lee walked up the stairs, Gaara cautiously fallowed, feeling like he is intruding into Lee's home. He still felt like a burden to Lee. Gaara would make sure to repay him for his kindness, with gold pieces that he has in his pocket. He more than deserved it. "You are too kind, Lee-san. I very much appreciate it." He gave a kind smile to the taller male, and hoped that his clothes would fit on him. Lee was bigger than he was, but at least he would be in comfortable and loose clothes.

**JapanEmoGirl**  
Lee smiled softly and turned back around. He headed towards the bedroom, and opened the door. Naruto did a nice job cleaning. His king sized bed was nicely made, and his small nick knacks were lined up neatly on his dresser. He didn't have a closet, but the nice dark wooden floors made up for it.

Lee walked over to the dresser, and got out the smallest clothes he had, which still look to big for the redhead, "I am sorry if they are too big. I will walk out of the room. Call for me once you are done." He rested the clothes on the bed, and walked out, closing the door behind him.

**XxGaaraloverxX**  
Gaara fallowed Lee to what he figured was his bedroom. It was a small room, much smaller than his own back at the castle, but it felt so roomy and didn't have all of the extra nonsense space. What he didn't expect was a king size bed that greeted him. It looked almost as big as the one he has back at the castle, but the sheets were average, and he didn't have that overhang of a sheet that would cover the bed. It felt like he was at home. He stood at the doorway, and walked in with caution, looking around the cute little room, taking a look at the nick-knacks that were shown on the dresser. He didn't touch them, respecting of Lee's personal space and belongings, but eyed them curiously.

He turned around when Lee found some clothes for him to wear, and placed them on the bed. "Thank you, Lee-san. I appreciate everything that you are doing for me." He didn't mind if it was a bit big, he didn't like tight clothing anyways. He smiled at Lee, and turned to the folded clothes that were on his bed, waiting for the click of the door, meaning it was shut, before he started to undress.

He first started off with his cloak, folding it, neatly, when it was off. Pale hands reached for his light brown tee that he had on and pulled it over his head, doing the same as the cloak. He grasped the shirt that was laid out for him, and pulled it over his head. Lee was right; it was a bit big on him. His pale shoulders were clearly visible from the shirt, it was so large. But he didn't care, it was warm and he liked it. He reached down to strip himself of his pants, leaving him in his boxers. He reached over and grabbed the pair of pants that were left, and pulled them up to his hips. Sadly, they slipped right down his legs, but he bent over and pulled them back up again, trying to tie the strings together so his pants wouldn't fall down right in front of Lee. Boy, that would be embarrassing, now would it? The pants were very long on him, he would need to take heed on not tripping when he would be walking. With a turn in his heel, he looked at the door, his back was turned to it the entire time, and called out "I-I'm ready. You can come in now."

**JapanEmoGirl**  
Lee tried to stop his mind from wondering what Gaara looked like with his clothes off. He kept thinking of the small frame, all naked and exposed. His face would be blushing and his lips out as a pout. Lee smiled like a goof, but shook the thought out of his mind before he had a 'problem'.

He heard Gaara say it was okay to come in, so he did. Lee stared at Gaara for moment, and then grabbed clothes for himself, walked out of the room and down stairs to the bathroom. Once in, he started the shower, and put it on cold, "Damn cuteness..." he whispered to himself.

**XxGaaraloverxX**  
When Lee opened the door, he looked at him, and so did Gaara. He gave a soft smile, but Lee just walked past him and grabbed his clothes, not saying a word. "Was it something I said?" He thought as he watched Lee leave the room, and walk down the stairs. He stood dumbfounded when he heard a door close, and the sound of water rushing. Perhaps he was washing his clothes.

At that moment, he felt the fabric of the pants slip from his waist, and falling down his legs. It was almost as if a ghost went and pulled at his pants, they fell so quickly. Gaara blinked when he felt the hems of the PJ's pool at his feet, and looked down. He sighed, as he pulled them back up again, this time, tying them extra tight, so they would not be able to slip off again.

He looked back at the door with a frown. Did he upset Lee? He hoped that he didn't make the other male mad; he would have cleaned his own clothes, if he didn't want to do it. He thought twice about making his way downstairs, ultimately making the decision to tip-toe his way down the steps into the living room. He decided to wait for Lee, it was the polite thing to do. Gaara took a seat on the couch, and took his time to glance around the room, looking at the different types of furniture, trinkets, and pictures that decorated the room.

**JapanEmoGirl**  
The water stopped, and Lee hopped out, "Looks like I need some water for the shower, too." Lee dressed, and picked up his used clothes. He opened the door, and walked upstairs to his bedroom. He blinked and paused, wondering why the Prince wasn't there. He put his clothes in the small basket that was in the corner of the room, and walked out the door, looking for the small redhead.

"Gaara?" He said through the house. He walked downstairs and into the living room, stopping when he saw him, "There you are. You worried me for a second." Lee smiled.

**XxGaaraloverxX**  
Gaara blinked and looked back to see Lee walking down the stairs. "O-Oh, I'm sorry, I didn't mean to worry you. I just wanted to wait for you to get out of the bathroom. Are you ready for bed?" he asked as he walked up to Lee, and taking note of his pajamas. He smiled softly, glad that Lee wasn't mad at him for an unknown reason.

He looked up at Lee, curious to ask him as to why he didn't speak to him when he went to grab his clothes from upstairs. Why he just simply grabbed them and walked out, but Lee had his reasons, he guessed. He thought about grasping onto Lee's hand, but decided against it, as he shook his head slightly, "Well, then… Shall we be heading up stairs?"

**JapanEmoGirl**  
Lee smiled, "Sure, Gaara-kun." Lee led the way to his room. Once there, he plopped on the bed and moved to the right, allowing Gaara the left.

He couldn't believe it. Gaara, Prince of Suna, was really going to sleep in his bed. Was this a dream? Who would have thought this would be his welcome home present. This is the best day ever. If Lee didn't mess up, maybe Gaara would return his feelings.

**XxGaaraloverxX**  
Gaara fallowed Lee up the stairs, and smiled when Lee practically jumped into his bed. He seemed so excited. Lee moved to the right and gave a light pat to the bed for him to sit on the left side.

Gaara swallowed, he was so nervous. He has never slept in the same bed with anyone, before. It made him feel a bit self-conscious, as he slowly made his way to the edge of the bed. He petted the sheets gently, before sitting on the edge of the bed. He didn't want to leap onto it like he would back in his old home, which would be rude.

He looked over at Lee, and swallowed, a blush staining his face. Why was he so shy? Perhaps, it was the fact that Lee was so caring and considerate, or because he was sleeping in the same bed as the man of his dreams. Gaara scooted over and pulled his legs up onto the bed; he stretched his arms up and yawned, cutely. He lay on his hip as his legs were folded over each other as he sat upwards and rubbed at his eyes. He couldn't help but to feel extremely feminine, but this is how he always starts out before he goes to sleep. It made him feel a bit worse when he looked over at Lee, with a curious gaze.

**JapanEmoGirl**  
Lee just stared at Gaara. He tried his best to keep his blush away, but it was really hard to. He then chuckled. Gaara was even cuter then earlier.

Lee leaned over to the lamp, and turned it off, "Good night, Gaara-kun. Have good dreams." He lay down, but found it really hard to shut his eyes. Would you if you had an almost too good to be true male lying right next to you in a bed, just inches away?  
**  
XxGaaraloverxX**  
Gaara blinked when Lee just sat and stared at him, a blush staining his face. Did he do something odd? Gaara curled a hand into his hair, and blushed madly, looking away. From this view, Lee looked much more handsome, than he thought of before. Luckily, Lee turned and flicked the light off near his side of the bed, and tucked himself in the covers. Gaara blinked and did the same, "Good-night, Lee-san. Sleep well."

He cuddled himself into the sheets, and rolled onto his side facing Lee, snuggling the pillow. It was nice to sleep in an average bed, instead of the harsh wooly sheets of his old bed. This one was nice and warm. He laid there relaxed, and tried to get some sleep for the next morning.

He ended up sleeping, and rolling over to Lee's side of the bed, nuzzling against Lee, with a happy sigh. It was so warm, and soft, where he lay. He didn't want to leave.

**JapanEmoGirl**  
Lee lay on his back and finally closed his eyes, only to reopen them when he felt Gaara. Lee gulped, and looked at the Prince. Even in the dark, Lee can still see that beautiful face. He slowly put his arm around Gaara, praying to God he didn't wake him up.

Once done, he shifted a little, and closed his eyes again, almost right after falling asleep.

**XxGaaraloverxX  
**During the night, Gaara didn't even feel Lee's arm wrap around him. All he felt was the warmth of Lee surrounding him, and he cuddled closer to it, subconsciously. He reached up and put his arms up on Lee's shoulder's and gripped the shirt he was wearing gently, and sighed, all the while still asleep.


	3. Chapter 3

**XxGaaraloverxX**  
Morning awoke him, as he opened his eyes slowly, registering where he was at. He smelt someone else's scent, and looked up to notice it was Lee that was pressed right up against him. Gaara's eyes widened. What the hell was Lee doing holding him like this? Lee didn't like him that way, did he? Perhaps he did while he was sleeping, yeah. That thought seemed to bring down his spirits a bit, knowing that Lee didn't feel the same as Gaara did to him. Lee was still asleep, though, and he didn't want to wake him, so he blushed and stayed tucked into Lee's grasp, not moving at all, and breathing in his scent. The morning sun shone through the window, signaling that it was around 7-8 or so in the morning. He was surprised that he managed to sleep so soundly. Normally he would wake up in the middle of the night a lot. He is an insomniac, and this is the first time he has ever slept through an entire night in about three weeks. Could all he really needed was someone to hold onto at night?  
**  
JapanEmoGirl**  
Lee awoke. He slowly opened his eyes and yawned a little. He stopped, however, when he felt someone on his side. He blinked and looked to see an awake Gaara. The memories from yesterday hit him like a truck, and he smiled, "Morning Gaara. Did you have a good sleep?"

Lee didn't even realize that he was still holding Gaara. Maybe it was the fact that Lee couldn't even feel anything thing that the moment. His brain was too cluttered with thoughts about the redhead, "This is the first time someone woke up before me. I must have slept in. I normally wake up around 6 or 7 and start working around the house."

**XxGaaraloverxX**  
Gaara was really surprised when Lee woke up and didn't freak out when he found the redhead in his arms. He could have sworn that Lee would have shoved him away and yelled at him not to touch him, but instead he just smiled and spoke kindly to him like it was an everyday thing. "G-Good morning, Lee-san. A-Actually… I did. I haven't slept an entire night, like this, in weeks." He said as he smiled back, happy to have had a good night's sleep. Now it was Gaara's turn to ask the question, "Did you sleep well?" he was waiting for Lee to say 'no, I didn't because another man was snuggling up against me all night,' but he knew that Lee wouldn't say such a thing, right?

Gaara didn't know whether to pull away or not, waiting for Lee to make the first move, instead. "Oh, really? That is quite early." He must have known that Lee had a lot of work to do, since he lives on his own.

**JapanEmoGirl**  
Lee thought, trying to remember his dream. He remembers bits of it, and from those bits he remembered it was a good dream, "Oh, yes. It's been year's sense I could sleep in, so it was wonderful. I had a good dream, too."

Lee nodded and slowly slid out of bed. He got some more clothes for himself, "You don't mind wearing those clothes until I wash the ones from yesterday, do you? If not, I can give you some more."

**XxGaaraloverxX**  
Gaara blinked, knowing well that the hard working citizens could never have a chance to sleep in. They were too busy working on the farm and trying to survive. "I am glad Lee. And what was your dream about? Could you tell me? I would be glad to hear it." He smiled and looked back up at Lee with a curious look.

When Lee slipped out of his grasp and off of the bed, Gaara frowned at the sudden loss and coldness that filled the air around him. Without Lee's warmth, it felt so lonely all of a sudden; but he sucked it up and moved on, not lingering on it. "N-No, I do not mind wearing these. Take your time; I can wear these all day. They are warm, comfortable, and lose fitting."

**JapanEmoGirl**  
Lee grinned, remembering his dream, "Well, come outside with me if you want to hear about it."

He stepped out the door, and down stairs. He walked into the bathroom, and changed clothes as quickly as he could. He walked back upstairs, and into his room, throwing the used clothes into the basket, and picking it up, "I know the last thing you want to do it watch me work, but I'm afraid I have no other entertainment. I'm going to go wash the clothes in the back with the well. Come with me to hear my dream, if you'd like."

**XxGaaraloverxX**  
Gaara smiled and nodded, watching Lee go down the stairs and to the restroom. He stretched and yawned, stepping out of bed, walking towards the window and taking a peek outside. He could see his overbearing castle peering down at him from a distance and it only made him frown in distaste.

When Lee walked back up the stairs, Gaara giggled slightly and spoke back "Not at all. I'll help if you would like me to. I wouldn't mind. Trust me; this is more entertaining than being back at that boring castle." Gaara decided to fallow him outside, and awaited to listen to his dream that he had. His own dream was mostly just a black screen. Not dreaming of anything, but he was curious of what Lee dreamed of.

**JapanEmoGirl**  
Lee walked up to the well, and smiled when he saw that his washboard and tub was still there next to it. He grabbed the bucket that was hanging by a string and tossed it in the well, making a small splash when it reached the bottom. Lee railed the bucket back up, and dumped the water into the tub. He let Gaara's clothes sit in there.

The backyard was perfect for an adult to relax and enjoy the wooded area afar. Children could play and run around, in the tree in the front yard. That showed a sign that Lee was playful. Right in the middle was the well. There was a porch, also, that had two chairs there. Maybe for two people to sit in and see the moon, or horizon.

"Well," Lee started about his dream, "in my dream, there was this man. He was a farmer to this old looking barn, and had miles of garden. Fruits, vegetables, flowers, anything you can think of. He had this dream to go to the castle, though, so every day, he'd fantasize about the princess, whose room was in the tallest tower. He'd sometimes just sit on his porch and just stare at the castle, wanting so much to be in there." Lee stopped. He had some sort of longing in his eyes.

Then, he started again, "One day, he met the Princess. It was love at first sight. But, the Princess was betrothed to someone else. So, their love was not to be. The Princess ran away from the kingdom with the man, and they lived happily ever after..." Lee was washing Gaara's clothing as he told his dream, "The man and Princess gave up their life to be with each other. I think that's the true meaning of love. Wanting to be with someone so much, that you're willing to give up your lifestyle."

**XxGaaraloverxX  
**Gaara stayed quite while he listened to the dream that Lee had. His eyes locked onto Lee as he explained what happened in his dream. Strangely, it sounded a lot like his own situation back at the castle. This 'princess' in Lee's story was a lot like him. He was supposed to be betrothed to someone, but ran away. Lee was a lot like the 'farmer' in the story, as Naruto told him that he used to have a crush on Sakura from the castle. So that could only mean that he has had dreams of becoming a part of the castle. The ending was a question, though. It hasn't happened. Lee was still here, living his life, caring for his land, and Gaara has already ran away from his castle home.

Then that other mysterious question remained. Did Lee love him? Would Lee make his dream come true? Would Gaara be his 'princess' and Lee would be Gaara's 'farmer'? Lee has been very generous to care for him while he has ran away from home, but it was strange that Lee hasn't even asked as to why he has. Surely if he were to take in someone let alone the king's son, as a runaway, wouldn't there be a reason. Perhaps Lee didn't care as to why he has left his home. Lee is just happy to have the prince by his side. Or perhaps something a little more than a friend. Gaara didn't know what to think of Lee's dream. It sounded a lot like the current time, almost like he was playing the story, it just wasn't finished yet, and Lee's dream was a becoming future for the both of them. Only time could tell, it seems.

"What a wonderful dream, Lee-san. I hope that someday your dreams come true." Gaara wasn't too sure if Lee was mentioning an actual female 'princess', but it was still a possibility. Gaara nodded, completely agreeing with Lee's logic, "I completely agree with you, Lee-san. True love can only exist if they give up everything just to be with them. Whether rich or poor, love knows no boundaries."

**JapanEmoGirl**  
Lee smiled and nodded, "You know," he stood up and hung the clothes on the clothes line, "it used to be my dream to go to the castle. I wanted to walk through those doors, and be greeted by everyone. I even had a small crush on Princess Sakura..." Lee chuckled, "It's silly. But, it was when I was a kid. Even now, but I recently got over it. I didn't really 'fit in' back then, so of course I had such an unreachable dream."

Lee stared off at the castle with a dreamed look, and then shook his head, getting back to the washing, "But, now that I think about it, I don't think it would be fun if someone did everything for me. I enjoy doing things. I bet you can tell me all about that, huh Gaara-kun?" Lee laughed and stopped, "Oh, I'm sorry. I'm going on and on about myself."

**XxGaaraloverxX**  
Gaara cringed when Lee mentioned that Sakura, again. It made him sick just thinking about that woman. Speaking of which, he was wondering when the country would go on high alert for Gaara's disappearance. He has never been away from home for more than a day, so it was only a matter of time before the king would send out the army and cavalry to go and search for him. The fate of the kingdom rests in his hands of that marriage, even though he didn't want to go through with it. There was nothing that he could say or do to make them understand that he simply did not love that wretched woman.

Gaara didn't know what more to say when Lee decided to drop his dream, and call it childish. It kind of made him a bit sad that Lee gave up on his childhood dreams. Isn't that one's purpose in life? To never give up on your dreams? No matter how childish they are? He blinked when Lee spoke again, and confirmed himself that, that dream was not wanted, referring back to the prince. "Heh, definitely." Gaara responded, rolling his eyes at the memories that played through his head. If he didn't make such a fuss, he could have sworn that the maids would have bathed him. They did absolutely everything, and never let him be.

"Hm, not a problem, Lee-san. I like to listen to you talk. I never get to hear anyone speak so honestly, it is quite intriguing." Gaara giggled, and smiled. "W-Would you like some help? I could assist you with something. Just tell me what to do." He didn't want poor Lee to do all of the work. It made him feel pathetic.

**JapanEmoGirl**  
Lee blinked and looked at Gaara. He doesn't hear people talk? Do people talk to Gaara? He grinned and nodded, "I would like some help, thank you. You see though buckets on the porch? Can you go and get them? Then fill them with water from the well." Lee pointed at the three buckets on the porch.

**XxGaaraloverxX**  
"Alright, I got it." Gaara looked to where Lee pointed and walked over to the buckets, picking up two of them, getting the other one last, since he could only carry two at a time. He placed them down next to the well, and attached the rope to one of the buckets, and dropped it inside of the well. A splash was heard, and Gaara pulled the bucket up, with a heave, and managed to pull it out without any major spills. One down two to go.

Gaara managed to fill up the other two buckets, within around five minutes, and pulled an arm over his forehead. It felt good to actually do something himself for a change. To, not, rely on others for assistance. The three buckets sat near the well, filled completely with water, and Gaara looked back at Lee. "I'm done. Where would you like these buckets? Do you need me to do anything else for you, Lee-san?"

**JapanEmoGirl**  
Lee grinned and dumped the now dirty water out of the tub. He pinned the wet clothes on the clothes line. He put the tub and wash board next to the well, where it was before, and stood up, "Thank you," Lee said, and grabbed two of the buckets, pickings them up, "can you grabbed that bucket and follow me? I got to refill my water tanks in the house."

**XxGaaraloverxX**  
Gaara blinked when Lee lifted two of the filled buckets without a sweat. Even he was having a hard time filling them and lifting them up from the well. Lee was very strong, making him blush a bit, and leaned down to grab the last bucket. Gaara grunted and lifted it with a strain. He knew that he wasn't a very strong man, so lifting a big bucket full of water was a hard task for him, but he managed. "C-Coming." He strained, as he fallowed Lee to the water tanks to put some water in his household.

**JapanEmoGirl**  
Lee saw Gaara struggling. But, he didn't say anything. He knew that Gaara wanted to help, so he let him.

The fighting master stepped into the house, holding the door for Gaara, then walked to the kitchen. He sat the buckets down on the wooden floor, "just set the buckets down, this will take a while, Gaara-kun."

Lee opened the small cabinet under the sink, and, with a grunt, pulled out a large metal tank. He unhooked it from the sink, opened the lid, and stood up, "The insides dirty. I'll be right back." he left to the bathroom, and a few minutes later, came back out with a piece of wet cloth. He got down again, and scrubbed the insides of the tank, "Gaara-kun," Lee said quickly, having done with the silence, "do you like horses?"  
**  
XxGaaraloverxX**  
Gaara nodded at Lee for holding the door open for him, and walked into the house. When Lee told him to lay the buckets down, he did with a sigh of relief, kneeling down and gently placing the bucket down with the rest of them with a light thud. When he heard that the inside of the tank was dirty, he nodded as Lee walked off to retrieve a wet cloth and started to clean it. Gaara knelt next to Lee, ready to assist whenever he would need him.

When Lee called his hand, he looked towards him again, taking his attention off of Lee cleaning, and looking at the side of his face. "Oh, yes. I love horses. I love to ride. I do jumping and polo, when I was back at the castle. I have my own horse there, too. His name is Shukaku. He's an elite Eventer, and a polo horse, he has a few titles that I have won. Do you like horses, Lee-san?" Just thinking of his steed, made him miss the stables, as a sad look appeared on his face. He loved to go there and just ride bareback on his big Frisian, and gallop the fields. He was wondering if they were treating him ok without him there.

**JapanEmoGirl**  
Lee smiled, "I love horses. When I was young, I had a horse. His name was Lotus. He was a beauty," Lee sighed, "but, one day, he got sick, and my dad had to put him down. It was awful."

When the cleaning was done, Lee put the cloth aside, and stood up. He grabbed one of the buckets, and began to poor slowly, not wanting to get any of the water on the floor, "I never learned any of those tricks, polo, or anything like that. I just liked to ride Lotus bareback. Sometimes, I'd pretend I was a handsome knight and rode my horse to the castle, which was that big tree in the front. My best friends, Naruto, TenTen, and Neji would play with me, and we'd put on shows for our parents, and sometimes the neighbors. Naruto would be the terrible dragon; TenTen would be the story teller, and Neji the fair Princess." Lee laughed at the memory of Neji in that oversized gown, "He still complains about it. I think I have some pictures of back then. My mom would always take photos of us. It was sort of her hobby, I guess."

**XxGaaraloverxX**  
Gaara smiled when Lee said that he loves horses as much as he did. But he frowned when he told him that the poor horse had to be put down. "Aw, that must have been so horrible. I am so sorry, Lee-san." Gaara put his hand on Lee's shoulder, in empathy. He didn't know what he would do if poor Shukaku was ever put down. He hopes that he will live long and prosper.

When he heard the little story of Lee's fairytales of him being a knight in shining armor, he laughed kindly along with Lee. "That must have been fun~, heh. I would have much rather been playing like that than training. As you know, I didn't have friends growing up, so I had nothing better to do than to train Shukaku. We would train for jumping competitions, and polo games. I would have much rather play games like that than to be forced to train so much." He looked over at Lee, and could imagine him galloping along on one of the cavalry horses.

Lee would be on a white stallion, a paladin cape draping down the horses flanks, as he galloped in from the horizon. The mighty steed would rear up and neigh loudly for the world to head their oncoming presence. Lee would be wearing a body suit of armor, suitable to the knights that they would wear now-a-days. Gaara would be looking down from his bedroom window and witness the knight. With a jolt he would run out of the castle, and leap onto that stallion, and grab onto Lee, hanging on as the horse would rear up again, and gallop off into the distance, taking him away from this horrid castle.

Gaara blinked and shook his head; he had a vivid imagination at times, and hoped that he didn't have a dazed look in his face. "O-Oh, you have pictures? If you could find them, would you care to show me after we finish here?" Gaara asked with a soft smile. He placed his hands on the bottom of the barrel that Lee was holding just in case he was to drop it and spill it on the ground. He just wanted to be safe.

**JapanEmoGirl**  
Lee smiled at how much Gaara was telling him. Now he knows just a little bit about his past, "Well, you can count me and Naruto as a friend, Gaara-kun."

Lee finished, and put the bucket down, hooking the sink back up, and pushed hard at the tank so it was back in place, "Sure," Lee answered Gaaras question, "it would be fun to see old pictures. I think they would be in that guest room. It must be in that box..." Lee shook his head, "Next is the bathroom sink, and shower."

He picked up one of the buckets and led the way to the bathroom, making sure Gaara was following him. Once there, he did the same to the sink as he did the other. Unhooked it, cleaned, refill, hook back up, and put back into place, "Alright, two down, one to go."

**XxGaaraloverxX**  
Gaara could only smile, when Lee told him that he would be his friend, and so would that other blond boy that he met the night before. As gently as he could, he put his hand onto Lee's and looked up at him. "Thank you, Lee-kun." This time, he pronounced his name with a –kun, this time. He has grown on Lee, and his feelings for him only grew stronger.

When Lee was finished with this tank, Gaara lifted the other bucket and fallowed Lee into the bathroom, placing it down on the ground next to Lee, as he go to work cleaning out this tank to fill it with water, and place it back. Gaara lifted up the bucket again, and nodded to Lee when they had the last tank to do. He was proud of himself that he could do something on his own, and help others.

**JapanEmoGirl**  
Lee opened the small closet in the bathroom, and in there was another metal tank, "I don't have to unhook this one, so this is the easy part." Lee opened the lid, and took the bucket, pouring slowly. He ran his hand under the water, and lightly splashed Gaara. He chuckled and finished, putting the lid back on, and closing the closet door.

**XxGaaraloverxX**  
Gaara put his hands up as he was splashed with water, a laugh escaping from his throat. "Lee-san, ha-ha, stop that~!" He laughed with a joke, he wasn't always such a serious guy; he could play around if he wanted to. The water managed to catch his face, he didn't expect that splash at all. Giggling, he ran his arms over his face to try and wipe away the water. His hair got a bit wet, but it was ok, it was a bit refreshing.

"hehe… Is that all the tanks? Are we done here?" Gaara asked as he smiled up at Lee. He, actually, didn't mind working. As long as he had Lee, he felt like he could do anything.

**JapanEmoGirl**  
Lee smiled and walked out of the bathroom, with all the buckets in his hands, "Yup. We are done. Now, we may have some breakfast. Say, Gaara-kun, do you know how to cook?" Lee asked, a little hit of sly in his voice.

**XxGaaraloverxX**  
He smiled and stood up to walk with Lee to the kitchen. He was starving; he hasn't had a bite to eat since the day before yesterday. But, Gaara paused, his whole world coming to a halt, when Lee asked him that question. He surely did not know how to cook at all. He could probably boil water wrong if it was up to him. That was one thing that he truly never did for himself. When he was in the castle, he would just go to the table and order whatever he wished. Usually, it would be simple stuff like sandwiches, but he still didn't know how to cook for himself. "U-Uh…" Gaara gulped, he was so useless. He was just a burden to Lee, now. "N-N… No…" He whispered out, softly. He was hoping that Lee wouldn't be disappointed in him for not knowing how to cook at all. "I-I am sorry. I really do not know how to cook, at all."

**JapanEmoGirl**  
Lee smiled, "then I'll teach you," he walked out the back door and put the buckets back at their place, and walked back in. He frowned and scratched his head, "i have to go to town for some food, though. You can stay here if you like. I don't think you want to go out there with all those guards everywhere." He chuckled, remembering how he ran from them yesterday.

**XxGaaraloverxX**  
Gaara blinked when Lee claimed that he would have to go into town for the food. It made him swallow with fright of being caught. He didn't want to leave, not back to that horrid castle that he ran from. He had to go with Lee, though, to help him carry it back. He didn't seem to own a horse or a wagon to carry stuff in so an extra pair of hands will be helpful for poor Lee. "I-I'll go with you. You don't have to carry it by yourself. I just need to find my hood and I'll be fine." He blinked and looked up at Lee with a caring gaze. Poor Lee was doing everything for him, and it made him feel terrible.

What if the guards were to come by the house? He knew that if his status in missing became publically known then they would be forced to go to homes and search for the missing prince. He didn't know if he could be able to outrun them if they managed to catch him here. He didn't want to worry Lee, though. He will stay if he wants him to. "B-But I will stay if you wish for me to. I just wish to cause as little trouble for you as possible."

**JapanEmoGirl**  
Lee went outside of a moment, the came back in with Gaara's clothes, fully dry, "You're no trouble at all! I love having you here. It's nice to have someone to talk to." he handed Gaara his clothes, and went to the kitchen, grabbed a basket, and went back to Gaara's side.

"Well, I just want to get some more bread and dairy. Naruto threw out my dairy and bread. Must have gone bad." Lee smiled at him. Gaara really was a big help around here. He hadn't had talked to anyone at his house is so long. Of, course, he was gone for over five years, but even before then it was lonely, "it will give us time to get to know each other better."

**XxGaaraloverxX**  
Gaara smiled when Lee brought out his disguise for blending into the scenery of the townsfolk. He nodded in thanks, and listened to his caretaker tear down his current boundary for trying to stay as invisible as possible in Lee's life. The last thing he wanted was to burden Lee with his presence. Perhaps he could pay for Lee's groceries, he had a decent about of gold coins on him, plenty enough to buy a couple of steeds if he wanted. "Thank you, Lee-san. I am happy to be here, and glad that you enjoy my presence." He bowed slightly in thanks.

Gaara nodded in understanding of what he would need from the town, He could definitely afford getting some bread and milk for him. Heck, he could purchase a few cattle for what he is carrying. "Of course, Lee-san. I'll pay for it, it is the least I could do." Gaara gave a sparkling gaze at Lee when he offered to get to know one another, a bit better. He would love to know more about his caretaker. "I would love to." He just felt so giddy from having someone to call a friend for once.

Gaara walked down to the bathroom, closed and locked the door. He quickly dressed, and pulled the cloak over his body, and walked back out without the hood on. He didn't need it now, but when he would step outside he knew that he would have to hide his identity. "I'm ready to go, Lee-san." He spoke up, quietly, folding his hands in front of him; it was a natural reaction, when he was standing still, once he would start moving, he would hope that no one would recognize his stride. He walked with pride, and was raised to show a significance of power, but he didn't mean to do it.

**JapanEmoGirl**  
Lee blinked when Gaara said he'd pay for it. He didn't want to trouble Gaara with having to pay for him. But, he let him. It's just bread and dairy. Nothing big. It would only take ten or so gold coins. And, sense Lee just came home yesterday, he didn't have much money. He just hoped taxes didn't come by his house today.

When Gaara came out, Lee was putting on his shoes. He got up and smiled at the smaller male. A twinkle of love in his eye. Goodness, Gaara was beautiful. Lee wondered why he hadn't seen him in the kingdom before. If he was betrothed to Princess Sakura, shouldn't he live here, and already be married to the pink haired female? Gaara did say that he didn't like her much, why is that? And, why did he run from the castle in the first place? These questions have to be answered; maybe Lee can ask them later.

"Alright then!" Lee, pulling away from his thoughts, happily said, "Let's go." he opened the door, and held it for the Prince, smiling all the way.


	4. Chapter 4

**XxGaaraloverxX  
**Gaara smiled in victory when Lee didn't argue with him about payment on the food. He won a match with the taller male for once. When he walked out of the bathroom, he did notice a different sparkle in the others eye. It seemed to portray as one would do to a love, a gentle and an affectionate stare. Almost like Lee was longing, and admiring him.

Gaara nodded at Lee's outburst of happiness, and fallowed him outside, nodding in gratitude to him as he opened the door for the prince of Suna. As soon as he walked outside, he pulled the hood over his head; afraid of anyone catching sight of him would immediately turn him in. His eyes were shadowed, and he stared at the ground to keep from looking into others faces, in case his eyes were shown. He was mostly known for his eyes. It was rare for a male to be born with such bright blue eyes, and a fiery shade of red for hair. He knew that if anyone ever caught gaze of his aquatic eyes surrounded in dark bags under his eyes, or his crimson hair, he would be caught for sure. He had to keep his identity safe not only for his own sake, but for Lee's as well. They could easily portray Lee as a kidnapper, or harbor of the prince. He would be executed, on the spot, probably without a trial. Gaara could not let that happen. Lee is such a kind fellow, and he would never forgive himself if Lee was killed from his own doing.

Gaara sighed at the thought, he felt bad for burdening Lee like this, but he knew that he would defiantly make up for Lee's lost wages and labor. He has been so kind to him now. Giving him a place to sleep: food, shelter, water; anything that he would need to survive Lee has given him. It made his heart warm with happiness that someone cares for him. Not just because of the fact that he is royalty, but because he is a human. A friend in need. Lee has not treated with specialty, bowing down to his every whim, but he has treated him just like everyone else.

Gaara turned to Lee, awaiting him to lead the way; he did not know the streets of the town very well. Covering them by darkness, when he would escape he doesn't know the streets as well as he would during the daytime, like now. The last thing he wanted to do was to get lost, and worst of all get caught, so he would fallow Lee's lead. In the back of his mind, he hopefully thought that Lee would offer his arm to hold, like last night when he was lead to his home. He had mix feelings about him then, but now Lee has shown him such gratitude that he almost expected Lee to treat him like a true prince while walking. It would be ok, if he didn't though. He would suck it up and go on without the generous hold of Lee's warmth, and keep his hands to himself if he had to.

**JapanEmoGirl**  
The raven headed male shut the door, and gripped the basket in his hand. He smiled and stepped forward, "first, the bread," he said and offered his hand to Gaara, "sense you are supposed to be hidden, I think you should disguise yourself a little better. Maybe you holding hands with someone else would put those guards out." He smiled at the redhead, secretly hoping he'd take his hand and make him feel lucky.

**XxGaaraloverxX**  
Gaara blinked when he saw Lee take his hand out. For a moment, he thought that Lee wanted something from him. Perhaps money for the bread that he spoke of, he was just going to pay it up front to the store owner. But if Lee wanted it now he'd give it to him, but the look on his face didn't look of greed. But when Lee mentioned, that he would be in a better disguise if he were to hold hands with someone, his heart leapt for joy. Slowly, he put his own smaller hand within Lee's larger one, and grasped it generously, taking a look up at Lee with a bright smile. He would have to enjoy looking up at Lee's face, because once they are out in the town, he would have to keep his gaze lowered, so no one could see his eyes. "Thank you, Lee-san. This is a wonderful idea."

He knew that Lee would have to lead him to the town and to where the food and produce is located. He had no idea where he would be going. He has never stepped foot out of the castle grounds during the day time, only at night when he would escape. "Lead the way." He smiled, before dropping his head to look at the ground. He hated to hide himself from Lee, but he was hoping that he would understand.

**JapanEmoGirl**  
Lee gave a worried look at the lowered redhead, and shook it off. He understood why he had to hide his face, so he didn't question it.

He began walking down the road to the town, "stay close, okay Gaara-kun? I don't want you getting lost. That would be bad." He lightly squeezed Gaara's hand. It was so small and soft. He loved to hold his hand.

**XxGaaraloverxX**  
Gaara nodded when Lee told him to stay close. He understood, completely. There was no way he wanted to get lost; he'd never find his way back to Lee's. If he got separated from Lee, then he was sure to get caught by the guards. They would drag him back to the castle, and then he would have to try and escape again to find Lee. But they would probably lock his door so he wouldn't escape so easily, next time.

He walked closer to Lee, their sides almost touching, as they both started to walk towards the town. He was hoping that it was a busy day, today, so he could blend in with the crowd. It would be too much of a coincidence if they were the only people to be on the streets, and the guards probably would ask them something, related to the disappearance of the prince. That would definitely go terribly wrong.

He blushed, when his hand was gripped gently. He could feel the harsh callousness on the others skin, it felt so rough and tattered, like sandpaper. Luckily, he was looking down at the conjoined hands so Lee couldn't see his blush, and he squeezed back gently, with a smile.

**JapanEmoGirl**  
The streets were busy with the morning rush. People chatted and laughed. Kids ran around and chased each other. Lee got many hellos and welcome backs. He just smiled and nodded, wanting to hurry before a guard came. He looked for the gain store, and stopped, "this is Hyuga Grain, Gaara-kun. My best friend Neji and his cousin work here."

He walked into the shop with Gaara following, and walked to the counter, "Hey, Neji-kun!" He smiled and pulled Gaara in front of him, in case a guard came from behind him and saw the redhead.

Neji looked up and down at Lee, "Lee, you've grown," he got from the counter and shook Lees hand, "it's been a real long time. Things changed sense you were gone."

Lee smiled, "same old Neji. All so serious."

Neji looked at Gaara, "Who is she?"

**XxGaaraloverxX**  
Luckily, the streets were crowded, but at the same time, it made Gaara a bit nervous. What if he were to bump into someone on accident? He maneuvered his way, holding onto Lee's hand and sticking close by his side, fallowing Lee's lead by looking at their feet. It was hard to judge where a person was going to walk next, just by their feet. With a barely noticeable, glance up, he saw a poster attached to one of the town buildings. It had his face on it and it was a MISSING PRINCE poster. Gaara mentally, cursed to himself. They were already on the move to look for the missing prince. Gaara glanced down quickly, and took note that the bounty for his return is around 10,000 gold coins. He knew that the longer he waits, the more the bounty will rise. The picture of him, was of his bright red hair, and those unforgettable aquatic eyes, not many people have seen the prince in real life, since Gaara never really left his castle home, but he knew that if he were to reveal himself, the townspeople would not have to take a second glance to know that he was the missing prince. He was hoping that Lee didn't see that poster, it only brought unease and worry to his mind, if he did.

Would Lee be tempted to bring him back for the money? Would Lee be that heartless and cruel to throw over love for greed? He knew that Lee wouldn't do such a thing, but it was still a possibility.

As they walked on, his ears picked up a newspaper/messenger boy, yelling on top of a box handing out newspapers and yelling "Extra, extra! Read all about it! The king's son, Sabaku Gaara, went missing!" Gaara gulped and pulled his shoulders up, hoping that no one would be too bold to recognize his stature or size. He pulled closer to Lee, a bit of fear radiating through his body. He didn't want to be caught.

Luckily, they managed to find the shop that Lee was looking for. Only, because he saw Lee's feet stop, and he only moved his gaze up as far as he could before the hood blocked his view, it looked like a cute little stand. It held a decent selection of wheat products, from bread to the actual wheat cut off from the fields. His arm was pulled, and Gaara fallowed, as he felt as though he was placed in front of Lee, making him blush, but understanding Lee's logic. He was only trying to protect him.

He didn't really pay much attention to Lee and this "Neji's" conversation, only when he spoke out softly, and it felt like towards his own direction. Gaara swallowed thickly, and a deep blush stained his cheeks. "He thinks I am a female…?" It wasn't a threat, nor did it come off as offensive. He didn't seem fazed at all by this man's assumption that he was of the female gender. He could understand completely that he would guess such a thing at first glance. He and Lee are holding hands, visibly, and to be known in public, no homosexuality can be displayed due to the fact that it is illegal. The punishment for being openly gay is being stoned to death. So he fully understood why this gentleman thought of him as being a girl. He is also smaller in size compared to Lee, and Lee is the known visible male, so it is only logical that Gaara would be the female of the couple walking down the street. Perhaps he could portray himself as a female, until the heat dies down.

He didn't know if he could speak it out, he did have a voice somewhat considered a male, since he is one, but he has been mistaken as a girl at the castle too, while he was fully exposed, and spoke. Perhaps he was just a very feminine guy. He may have had an aura similar to one of a female. He didn't mind it, though. Strangely, it seemed to suite him.

Gaara swallowed thickly, and blushed further, squeezing onto Lee's hand out of nervousness. Would this citizen recognize him from his voice? Mostly everyone in the town should have known about his and Sakura's marriage. And surely, everyone knew about his disappearance from the castle. He didn't know if he should speak or not.

**JapanEmoGirl**  
Lee looked at Gaara, nodding. He read Gaara's movements, and agreed. He then looked at Neji, "Her name is... Akio," he thought then nodded, liking the name, "I met her when I was gone. We took a bit of a liking to each other, as you can tell." He raised his and Gaara's hand and laughed.

Neji raised his eyebrow, "And she didn't answer my question herself, because?" He was highly suspicious.

Lee smiled nervously, "She doesn't like talking speaking much. She's shy and quiet."

**XxGaaraloverxX**  
Gaara sighed out in relief, when Lee mentioned that is "other" name is Akio. He would have to thank him later, for a "good call." Lee really saved him this time, and he gently nodded, liking the name.

When Lee lifted their conjoined hands, he blushed harder and gulped a bit. He was nervous, especially of what Lee said. Did he really mean that he has taken a liking to him? Or was he just putting up a front to keep "Neji" from speaking out against him.

Although, his relief soon faded quickly, when he heard the suspicion from the other man, as he spoke out. Gaara shuffled a bit in his stance, and moved closer to Lee, nervously. He didn't know what Lee was going to say, now. They were being interrogated a bit, and he didn't like it at all.

Gaara bit his lip, when Lee mentioned that "Akio" was a shy woman, and didn't like to speak much. Half of that was true in text. Gaara didn't like to speak unless spoken to, and he was a bit shy, when it came to meeting new people. Gaara curled closer to Lee, and pulled out some money in his pocket and handed it over to Lee's unoccupied hand, a bit secretly. He didn't mind staying out; it really was a difference from the castle, to the outside world. He'd stay out for as long as Lee wanted to.

**JapanEmoGirl**  
Lee looked at the money and blinked, taking it, "Neji, it has been wonderful talking to you, but i would like some bread."

Neji nodded, forgetting the suspicion he had, and moved behind the counter, ranking up the total of bread, "that would be... 6 gold coins."

Lee almost flipped, "Wow. Prices have gone up!"

Neji shrugged, "These are hard times. The royal family has risen up taxes. Greedy Princess and Prince they have. Next thing you know, the Prince went missing. Probably couldn't handle the life of not being spoiled to bits, what with having to become the king and marring our Princess."

Lee flinched, "Oh, I don't think he's bad. I think it's the Princess that got to him," he quickly changed the subject, "so, how is TenTen, Neji?"

"Pregnant," Neji gave Lee a dull look, "it is our second son. We have a daughter as well."

Lee smiled, "My! I have to see them soon. Well, I have to get going. Good bye, Neji!"

"Good bye Lee... Akio..."

Lee walked out, with Gaara following, "That was a close one. Normally, Neji can see though anything. Now, to Uzumaki's Dairy. Naruto works there."

**XxGaaraloverxX**  
Gaara didn't flinch when he heard the price of a loaf of bread. He wouldn't be surprised that the taxes have risen. The royal family must have had some odd reason to raise taxes, but most of them were ridicule, and absurd. Some people can't afford to feed their families due to the high cost of food that is skyrocketing. Part of the reason why he didn't want to be a part of that family. They were all greedy. He knew how to respect the hard working citizens that keep this place alive and active.

Gaara gasped softly when Neji spoke such lowly of the prince, meaning him. It hurt. That the townspeople seemed to misinterpreted how his feelings were. They don't respect the prince as the prince respects the citizens. Gaara always defended his people, and admired them. Hell, he even ran away from his home to have a taste of their life. It just hurt how the people seemed to think that he is a bad person. Gaara's head lowered, sadly. He tightened his hand onto Lee's, and moved closer to him. Would he agree with Neji?

Even when Lee said that he didn't think that the prince was a bad person, it still didn't waver his thoughts. He ignored Lee's and Neji's conversation, as sadness drew him in. He had no idea that his own people held such hatred towards him. They all thought that he was just a big brat, running away from not being spoiled enough. But that wasn't true. Not true at all.

Gaara didn't even nod in good-bye as he was dragged off by Lee. Not a word was spoken of, from the prince, as Lee explained to where he was going next. Perhaps the blond male could bring a small smile to his day. That Neji really brought down his spirits about his hopes of walking into his new life, but now it seems like the people didn't even want him to be a part of their lives. Like he was nothing.

**JapanEmoGirl**  
Lee could feel Gaaras sadness, and stopped around a corner, making sure no one was around. He looked at the smaller one, "Gaara, Neji doesn't mean what he said. I bet he's just mad about the taxes. He's only one person out of this whole Kingdom. I bet lots of people don't think that way. Besides, you said you don't get out much, right? People do not know you as you."

**XxGaaraloverxX**  
Gaara managed to give a peek up at Lee, when they were all of a sudden in this alleyway, hidden from the hustle and bustle of the crowd. He looked up at Lee, his aquatic eyes watery with hidden tears. Gaara listened into what Lee had told him that he didn't mean it, but it still hurt dearly. It struck his heart hard, that even one person seemed to speak like that about their prince; he has never spoken of any of his citizens in such a barbaric manner.

"B-But…" A sob broke out, as he felt a tear roll down his face; quickly he raised a hand to wipe it before he thought that Lee would see. "B-But, w-why did he-he have to be so m-mean about it…?" He couldn't help that he sounded so childish at the moment. It made him blush a bit, but he still was clearly upset at what that "Neji" said about him. It truly hurt his feelings.

Even though he understood, Lee was right. The townspeople don't really know their prince. They interpret how he is based upon their King. If the king is greedy, then so is the prince, as they presume. If only he could just show them that he is not the spoiled prince that they thought that he is. That he respects the hard worker more than he does himself.

There was nothing more that he wanted right now was a hug. He would have gripped onto Lee for the comfort and support that he needs, but he didn't know if Lee was comfortable with the prince's touches. The last thing that he wanted was for Lee to be uncomfortable.

**JapanEmoGirl**  
Lee's eyes soften. Gaara was really upset. Lee didn't think Gaara ever knew about his people, Neji, saying such things. Maybe Gaara was never picked on, so he doesn't know want to do. Right now, Lee just wanted to hug him. He didn't want to see Gaara cry. Ever. It pained his heart, and he grew a little angry at Neji for giving Gaara this pain.

Lee went behind his worries back, and held the redhead, rubbed his back lightly, "Gaara-kun," he whispered, "do not cry. It is okay. Neji does not know you. I know it hurts, but there are a lot of things that hurt. Neji is just a big bully. He thinks he is a genius and knows all. Well, he does not know you are a kind sir, with a good heart. You are a big help, and I love having you around. I do not love you crying, though. Please."

**XxGaaraloverxX**  
Gaara's body flinched when he felt Lee's arms wrap around his body. Never, has he been hugged before. It made him both scared, and protected at the same time. All Gaara could see was Lee's shoulder. The tears fell down his cheeks, as he felt those large hands gently rub at his back. Lee's words soothed him, and brought a sense of relief over his mind. He didn't know that Lee could ever make him feel this way. It made him feel happy to know that Lee cared for him, enough to actually hug him when his feelings were hurt.

His hands moved up to Lee's chest, leaning into the comfort, and warmth. "Thank you, Lee-san… I feel much better now; I am glad that, at least, you enjoy my company." Gaara gave a gentle smile, as he looked up at Lee's face, and into those dark colored eyes. He felt so happy right now, and was feeling so much better. It was all thanks to Lee. Now that Lee explained it, he now understood a bit how his people really felt about him; most of them don't know who he really is. That is why, when he becomes king, one day, he plans to show them otherwise. But right now, he didn't want to go back to that castle. He wanted to be here. With Lee.

**JapanEmoGirl**  
Lee looked at Gaara, and rubbed his tears away with his thumb. He smiled, "Now, want to see someone else who likes you?" He laughed and grabbed Gaara's hand, dragging him lightly to get the dairy.

The streets were slightly cleared, enough to walk through better. Everyone must be home for breakfast. Lee looked back at Gaara, giving him a small smile and a squeeze of the hand. He hurried to Naruto when he saw a guard call out to him, though, pretending not to hear.

"Naruto!" He yelled, walking in the shop and seeing his friend not there. A dark blue haired female walked out, though, and gave a curious look, "hey, Hinata," Lee greeted the female, "is Naruto here?"

**XxGaaraloverxX**  
Gaara's heart skipped a beat when Lee wiped away his tears. A gorgeous smile formed onto his lips, and he giggled and smiled when Lee mentioned that he was going to go and see others who like him. That could only mean that Naruto guy. No one else has seen him out of his disguise other than Lee and him. "Heh~, yeah, let's go." Gaara blushed, when Lee grabbed his hand and dragged him to their next destination. He wasn't dragged mostly, since Gaara had a smile on his face the whole time.

Luckily, the streets were cleared enough so there wasn't a chance that Gaara could run into someone by accident. Gaara knew better than to lift his head, but this time, he did and saw Lee look back to smile at him, and Gaara smiled back, squeezing his hand just as Lee did to him. He lowered his gaze and gasped when a guard managed to call out to Lee, but he seemed to ignore it. This was starting to get dangerous.

Lee walked into a shop that had milk and dairy products that lined the shelves and it smelt like fresh cheese in the place. It made his mouth water a bit, he was hungry. To his surprise, the Naruto that he knew was not at the counter, it was this lady there instead. Gaara bowed his head, afraid that she might alert the guards of his presence, or maybe Naruto told her about him already, he hoped not, since word could spread fast. Suddenly, the guard that called out to Lee walked in, the bells to the door ringing; as he heard the sound of chain-link metal hit the floor. He could feel the stares of the guard on him, but he walked over to Lee instead. He was so frightened about what he was going to do or say. No other than the fact that he and Lee were still holding hands, and he was sure that Lee felt his hand shiver with fear.

**JapanEmoGirl**  
Before Hinata could answer Lee, the guard took off his helmet, and looked straight eyed at Lee, only slightly taller, "Sir," he started in an angry voice, "you might have not heard, but I called for you. When the Kings guards call, it is wise to stop and listen."

Lee smiled, a little annoyed, "Of course. My apologies."

The guard slicked his hair back, only to have it fall back in place, "I'm here to ask you questions about the missing Prince. Do you know anything?"

"Missing Prince?" Lee looked confused, "Sir, I have just come back from an over five year training method yesterday. I know nothing of a Prince."

The guard seemed to not believe it, "Then, who is this?" He pointed at Gaara.

Lee looked at Gaara, then the guard, "She is my Mrs."

Kings Guard raised an eyebrow, " 'She' does not look like a she. May I take a look at her?"

Without permission, he reached for Gaara, almost touching his hood. Lee acted fast, and grabbed his wrist, gripping it harshly, "You may not touch her." He gave a deadly glare and tightened his hold, almost to where you could hear the bone cracking, "What kind of man would you be if you touched a woman without her permission? A sick, impatient man, that's what. You have no right. Not even if the King himself were to come in here and tell you, right in front of me, to touch her, would I let you."

**XxGaaraloverxX**  
Gaara bit his lip when he heard the guard speak of the missing prince. He knew that something was going to happen. He tried to halfway hide behind Lee, as the kings guard spoke to Lee angrily. It made him shiver a bit in his stare, and from his voice.

When the guard didn't believe Lee's story of him going out on a trip and that the hooded person is his mistress, the guard scoffed easily. Gaara's breathing picked up, afraid to death of being caught. If this guard caught him now, especially holding hands with another male, Lee would be executed without a trial, for suspicion of capturing the prince and taking him hostage, and for open homosexuality. Even if the prince, himself, tried to speak against it, it would do them no good, and Lee would be stoned to death, or hung. A sick and twisted feeling of worry and fear rifled through his stomach.

Gaara held his breath when he saw a hand reach for his hood, his eyes widened with worry and dread of what could happen if the guard found him. Suddenly, another hand intercepted the guards, and Gaara looked in the direction of Lee, only managing to look at his shoes since his head was hung low. He dared not to say a word, afraid that his voice will give him away. As he listened to Lee speak to the guard with such pride and dignity. Lee was brave. Not many could stand up to them like this, without getting a good beating afterwards.

He felt so protected, that Lee would risk himself like this to protect him. Gaara swallowed thickly, as he looked at Lee's grip, it looked like if Lee wanted to, he could snap his wrist in two from his grasp. Slowly, he raised a hand to grip at his heart, as he started to get control of his breathing once more. The only problem was, would the guard be scared off? Would he just leave and come back for more? Or, would he just threaten to lock Lee up for his disobedience? He could only stay still and quite, wishing that he could help, but if he were to speak, he would only make matters worse.

**JapanEmoGirl**  
Hinata, sensing there will be violence, went to the back, coming back with Naruto on her arm. His eyes widen, "Lee, what are you doing?" He said to himself in udder shock. Never before has he seen Lee so deadly, and strong. Either the intense hard years of training got to him, or Gaara, somehow, released the beast in him.

Said beast smiled innocently, and let go of the guard's hand, "I stick by my story, whether you think it's true or false. No one touches her. Do you understand?"

The guard yelped in pain, and fell to the ground, holding his wrist. He looked at Lee, in total terror, and nodded quickly, "I-I have NEVER, in my life, met someone as bold as you, boy," he got up, hissing in pain. He, with hesitation, stuck out his hand, "good man, you are. Able to stick up for your lady, even to a guard. Have you ever thought of working as one of the royal family's guardian?"

Lee blinked, and looked at the hand. He just almost broke his wrist. Shouldn't he be surrounded by guards or hit back?

**XxGaaraloverxX**  
Gaara flinched when he heard the voice of Naruto emerge from the doorway to the back of the store; it was a small little place so he was in the same room as them. He managed to finally catch his breath, and listened as the harsh voice of Lee turn soft and calm in a flash. Lee was scary when he wanted to be. He understood now the training that he went through must have made him extremely tough. Lee was so gentle with him; it must have brought on a protective surge when the guard almost touched him.

He thought that the guard was going to punch him or call his backup to attack Lee, and arrest him or worse. But instead, he simply praised him for his efforts of protecting his "lady" and for sticking up for himself against the palace guards. Which was true, no one has ever stood up to one of the guards before. He heard stories from over hearing the castle guards that they would purposely pick on people from the town, and they couldn't do a thing about it. Scared to death that they were going to be executed or beaten.

Gaara blinked as he felt Lee seem to "snap" out of it. Strangely, he could see that Lee was looking at his hand, and it looked like he just didn't believe that he would do such a thing, but it happened. Could protecting Gaara, spark a natural urge to defend and protect? Was it Gaara's presence affecting Lee in some sort of way that it made Lee act instinctively? He didn't mind it at all, but he was scared that Lee's boldness could get himself killed. Luckily, this guard didn't attack back. On the other hand, he instead, asked him about applying for guard duty at the castle himself. Well, Lee said that his dream was to be a part of the castle. Would Lee accept the offer? I he did, then Gaara would willingly give himself up, and go back to the castle, as long as he could be a servant and a protector of the royal family. Then Lee would have to see him every day, and Lee could still do things on his own, none of the maids ever clean up after the guards. It was up to Lee, though. It would be a good idea to make his childhood dreams come true, but he didn't know if Lee would be willing to do something like that. He could still have his little farm and home, only staying in the palace walls whenever he pleased, he would have two homes.

**JapanEmoGirl**  
Lee thought. If he accepted, he would be in the Castle, and grant his childhood dream. If he didn't, he will continue his journey as a tax payer. Not a tough choice, huh? But, Lee had another dream. Gaara. His new dream is for Gaara to live his. He doesn't know what it is, but he knew it had nothing to do with the castle, sense he ran away from it to begin with. Lee overcame his dream of the castle, once Gaara came along.

Lee looked at said redhead. He didn't know why, but Gaara brought out a whole new Lee, only being with him for a day. He didn't even think about what he was doing until he let go of that wrist. Something about the Prince just made him want to take on the world. Does Lee have feelings for this Prince? Romantic feelings? After knowing him for not even twenty-four hours? Now that he thinks about it, why did Lee stop and help Gaara from the guards in the front place?

Was it just his natural kind nature? Or, was it because Gaara told him he was new? Or, maybe, Lee was pulled into helping a stranger? Man, he doesn't know anymore. Just, that moment, somehow, changed him. The minute he saw those bright bluish green eyes. Seeing that fiery red hair. He doesn't know anything, but the more Lee thinks about Gaara, the more his feelings increase. What is it? He's never felt this way before.

Lee soon shook back into reality, and looked at the guard, hand still stretched out. He smiled a little, and put up his own hand, as if trying to stop someone, "I'm sorry," he started, "but I am afraid I have to decline your offer."

The guard seemed un-amused. He took back his hand, "But why?!"

Lee put his arm around Gaara, resting his hand on his shoulder, "I do not wish to serve the King anyway then I already am. I am not sorry for your wrist, and I will not leave my home for any reason involving the King."

The guard gave a sour look, and just turned, leaving the shop, with a slam of the door. Something told Lee he was going to be back, but not soon.


	5. Chapter 5

**XxGaaraloverxX  
**Gaara's eyes widened as he stared at the floor and listened to Lee decline the guards offer. He was confused. He was certain that Lee would accept the offer, and live out his dreams to be a part of the castle. Wasn't that his dream?

He gasped softly, when he felt Lee wrap an arm around him, gripping his shoulder gently, and giving his reason as to why he refused. He had a feeling that Lee's excuse wasn't the whole story, that there was something else that lay underneath of what Lee had said. That couldn't be the sole reason that he didn't want to be a part of the castle. Knights get good benefits. They get a room in the castle if they wish, their taxes are lowered greatly, and they get to serve the mighty king and queen themselves. But best of all, Gaara would have appointed Lee as his personal knight. They would have seen each other every day. Yes, Gaara would have been miserable, being back into that horrid castle that he ran from, but as long as Lee was happy, then so would he.

He looked at the guard's feet, and noticed them walking away, and ultimately hearing the dinging of the door bells as the door opened and closed, signaling his leave. Gaara looked up at Lee, with disbelief in his eyes, but also with a hint of happiness. Lee protected him. It made his heart jump, when he looked into those dark eyes. Right now, he didn't care if the "Hinata" girl saw him; all he wanted was for Lee to look at him. Gaara wanted to ask so many questions. "Why?" was one of them, but he didn't speak it. "Why did you refuse?" was another, still unspoken. A list of questions popped in his head, but he didn't want to ask. At least not yet. He would prefer to ask Lee in the privacy of his own home. "Why did he protect him like that?" was another one, still he stayed silent.

All he could really say was "Lee…" as he grabbed Lee's hand within his own. He looked down at Lee's hand, and rubbed a thumb over his knuckles. A blush creped onto his cheeks, as he looked back up at his caretaker. What was this feeling? Why did he like to feel protected? Why did he feel relieved when Lee abandoned his chance of taking his dream and running with it? But what got him most of all was "Why did he feel this way around him?" His heart would skip a beat whenever Lee would look at him. His breath would still whenever he would hold him close. And a blush would spread upon his features when Lee would smile in his direction. He has never felt anything like this before. He has read something similar to these feelings in storybooks and novels, but he only accused them of being fairytales, nothing realistic about them. That feeling was "Love." But it couldn't be, right? Love did not exist for him; he was left alone and had no friends. He didn't know the meaning of this odd term known as "Love." This was certainly not what he was feeling around the older male, could it?

Gaara got lost in those eyes, as he stared deeply into them, as if finding the answer to all of his questions just in those dark pools. He squeezed Lee's hand, and placed his other on Lee's chest. A blush was covering his face, and he didn't know what his body was doing to him. It was an odd feeling of nausea, and a nice feeling similar to butterflies that fluttered about in his stomach. What was happening to him?

**JapanEmoGirl**  
Lee heard his name, and looked down at the redhead. His coal black eyes stared in those aqua ones. His heart skipped a beat, and his mind raced. Many thoughts came, and went. Was Gaara always this beautiful? Were his eyes always that blue? His breath was caught in his throat, and he couldn't speak. He could only see. See those magnificent eyes on him, and feel the redhead under his hand. Lee wanted to hold him closer, but he knew Gaara wouldn't enjoy it.

Then, that hand grabbed his. That small, warm, fragile hand grabbed his own. Lee looked at it for a minute, then back at Gaara. His eyes made time standstill, and he couldn't tell what he was doing. He felt like he was in Heaven, singing with the Angels, and laughing, skipping on clouds. Something clinked. The air even felt like warmth. You could feel the feelings from both Lee and Gaara from miles away. He felt Gaara place his hand on his chest.

He couldn't take it anymore. Lee slowly, cautiously, leaned down. The closer he got, the more his breathing hitched. He just hoped Gaara didn't push him away. Closer, and closer he got. He could feel Gaara's breath on his face.

"Ahem," Lee was shook back into the world. He quickly leaned back, and removed his arm from around Gaara's shoulder, and saw Naruto, giving a sly grin.

"W-what?!" Lee squeaked out. He hit his chest and cleared his throat, "what?" He said, calmer, and deeper then the first.

Naruto giggled, "I didn't say anything."

**XxGaaraloverxX**  
His gaze never left Lee's, and he didn't dare to move when he saw Lee leaning closer. On the contrary, Gaara did the same. He leaned up, helping to close the gap between their faces. He didn't understand where this was going until he would end his journey, to greet Lee's face with his own. "What is it; do you wish to tell me?" he thought. There had to be something important or private that Lee wanted to tell him, reasons of why he would be inching closer to his face only gave him newer thoughts. "What is it; do you wish to show me?" Something was on the others mind, but he was sure that they were not matching the redhead's thoughts at the moment. "What is it… Do you wish to do to me?" Images of his fairytales came into play, as he thought that this seemed highly similar to a scene where two people begin to… kiss? Was Lee going to kiss him?! Strangely, while his mind was freaking out, he didn't show it at all on his face.

Instead his eyes were lidded, as he was so close to Lee, he could feel the other breath dance across his cheek, making his blush darken, if it was possible. They were an inch apart, and Gaara was about to close his eyes, and relish in the feel of Lee's lips on his own, until he heard a throat being cleared from the same room. Also, when Lee pulled away from him and squeaked out something and remove his arm from his shoulder, but he couldn't really understand what he really said.

Gaara gasped softly, as he pulled back as well, dipping his head down in embarrassment. "Wh-What was I doing?" he thought, as his blush darkened to the point that it matched his hair. "W-Was Lee and I a-about to…?" He couldn't even finish his thought. There was no way that Lee felt the same, could he? Perhaps he misinterpreted Lee's motions, and he was trying to whisper something in his ear… yeah. "Th-That had to be the reason…" There was no other way. Especially, when he heard Naruto, he pulled away like he was a poisonous snake.

A hand reached up to grasp at his shirt, over his heart. A pang of anger, guilt, worry, and sadness wrecked though his heart. It hurt that Lee would toss around his feelings like this. Did he like him, or not? Or, maybe, he just perceived the whole situation wrong. Were all of these feelings just in his head? Did Lee like him?

Gaara took a step back, trying to get these unknown feelings under control. He didn't know what was going on. Why was he feeling this way? Why did Lee pull away when Naruto called out? Was Lee just toying with him? He was so confused, and felt lost. He didn't even look up at the blond when he spoke out. He felt upset that he ruined their moment of peace, but he didn't understand why he did that in the first place. He wanted to know what Lee was going to do. But now, the mood is destroyed.

**JapanEmoGirl**  
Lee took a quick glance at Gaara, and looked back at Naruto. His face all red, and his thoughts busy with Gaara. He wanted so badly to continue, but he didn't know what it was he wanted to continue. What was he doing? Was he trying to... to kiss the Prince of Suna, soon to be King of Konoha?! What on Earth was Lee thinking?! What if Gaara was so disgusted, he beheaded Lee, or worse, goes back to the castle, and banish him?! Lee needs to watch his actions around Gaara. He's getting close to how he feels about the redhead, he can't stop now.

Naruto stopped his giggling, "So, Bushy-brows, what can I help you with?" He put his hands on his waist, and signaled Lee to come over to him with his head.

Which, Lee obeyed. He walked over to Naruto, "I would like dairy."

Naruto smiled, gave a big wave to Gaara, and walked to the back, Lee following. The only ones who was left, was Gaara, and Hinata. Said female looked around nervously, and cleared her throat, "Um," she started, but had trouble finishing, "h-hello. My name i-is Hinata. I help N-Naruto-kun with his shop sometimes. What's your n-name?"

**XxGaaraloverxX**  
Gaara looked at Lee's feet as he walked away, leaving him alone with this other lady. He hoped that he gave Lee enough coin when he was at the wheat market earlier. If not, he would compensate for Lee's losses when he got back to his home. His heart still hurt, and he wanted to ask Lee so many questions, but he kept his cool, and stayed calm. He didn't want to upset Lee in public.

Gaara's attention grabbed onto the other person in the room with him, he looked at her feet, not daring to look up, afraid that she knew who he was. He would have to stick by Lee's other name that he has called him with. Gaara was now, known to everyone, a female and she was Lee's Mrs. So, when the stuttering lady introduced herself, Gaara cleared his throat, and spoke quietly, hoping that his voice didn't sound too masculine. "Akio…" He didn't want to give out too much information. Not without Lee's presence. He didn't even want to speak without Lee being here to assist. He was scared that this girl would send for a guard if she recognized who he was just by his voice. He hoped not, and tried his best to keep himself hidden, just in case; any other customers came walking in. Out in public, it was safer for him to just keep his gaze on the ground, and to keep his mouth shut. He has come too far to give up yet.

**JapanEmoGirl  
**Hinata was a little taken back at how deep this woman's voice was. But, with the polite nature she has, she didn't question it. She smiled, "That is a wonderful name," she said, slowly. Sense the other was talking back, she gain just a little bravery, "how long have you known Lee? Y-you must have met him when he was out training. How lovely that you c-came back with him." She gave a nice smile, and tried to warm up the awkward air, "I-I've known Lee for a while, b-but I've known Naruto all my life. He's the nice blonde that Lee left with..."

She seemed to stop and stare at the ground. Something in her eyes told everyone that saying Naruto's name brought her pain. Speaking of the blonde, he came in, with Lee, who was holding a bag with dairy. Naruto had a smile, and walked over to Gaara, wrapped his arms around him, "Long time no see, pretty lady~"

Lee grabbed Naruto, and dragged him down to the ground. He stood next to Gaara, and headed for the door, "Show respect, Naruto." He said, as he walked out the door, and away from a laughing Naruto.

**XxGaaraloverxX**  
Gaara just stayed silent and listened to Hinata speak. He was unsure to answer her question of how he met Lee. He could say that they "ran into each other", literally. But as he listened on, he could have sworn that Naruto and Hinata was a couple. He didn't question it, but it still sparked some curiosity with the blond and what his type is. She seems so sweet, but Naruto always tries to hit on him, he didn't know if he was just playing around, or if he is bisexual.

Just when he was about to answer, Lee and Naruto came back in, catching Gaara's attention from speaking with Hinata. His curiosity struck again, when Naruto came at him once more. An arm wrapped around his shoulders, and it surprised him a bit, as he peeked up to see who it was. Who would be so bold as to…? Naruto. Gaara couldn't contain the small smile that graced his lips when he saw a familiar blond headed man greet him with an out of the window statement. Only he could be so outgoing with his statements. Even Naruto knew who lay underneath of the hood, and yet he still speaks to him in a tone considered close to flirting. Gaara shook his head amused, by Naruto's statement towards him. It made him wonder how long he has been able to keep this charade up without being beaten to a pulp by the guards, he was humorous though, and it brought Gaara's spirits up.

When Naruto was dragged to the ground by Lee, he could clearly see Naruto, since his gaze was already locked to the ground. He gave Naruto a soft smile, and a giggle to go with it. Naruto was something else, alright. Gaara was actually getting a bit used to his outlandish speech that he proclaimed to the prince.

He gently bowed in a due, and fallowed Lee out of the shop and into the streets once more. He could hear Naruto's laughter until he closed the door completely. Gaara laughed softly, "Still as bold as I remember~…" Naruto brightened his day, except to where he interrupted their close meeting earlier. He was wondering what Lee said to Naruto when they left the room, were they just making a sale? Or, was Lee giving Naruto a tongue lashing in a whisper about the interruption?

**JapanEmoGirl**  
Lee smiled, and gave a small laugh, "Yeah. He's like that to all the new people. Do not worry, though. He does not like you that way. But, I have a feeling he's going to continue touching you like that." He took Gaara's hand, and walked home.

"Once we are home, I'll teach you how to make pancakes. After that, the dishes need to be done, and then, as I promised, the pictures." He turned a corner, getting on the road to his house. The roads were almost cleared completely. The sun was high in the sky, showing it was about twelve in the afternoon. Not bad timing, "this is the earliest I've finished. Thanks for the help, Gaara-kun."

**XxGaaraloverxX**  
Gaara sighed in relief, that the blond boy didn't like him like he thought he did. It was just a playful flirt. He didn't mind the other male's touches, it made him a bit embarrassed, but it made him have nice feelings of being around friends. "So this is what friends do…" He thought, he was happy that he finally had someone to call a friend. He had two, and he couldn't believe his luck. In one day, he already has two friends.

Gaara's smile widened when he looked down at Lee's hand connected to his. He squeezed back, and fallowed Lee as they walked back to his house, happy to finally start to eat something. Gaara's gaze brightened when Lee told him that he would teach him how to cook. The chores he would gladly do, and then he finally gets to see those pictures of Lee and his horse and friends and family playing the princess and the knight. He was so excited to learn something useful; he just hoped that he didn't burn what he made. "Okay." He said with a smile.

When they turned to walk down the same path that they walked down the night that he first met Lee, everything seemed different during the day. It wasn't crowded at all, and some horse and wagons walked by but that is about it. Since it was almost clear out Gaara looked up at Lee and smiled at him, "You're very welcome, Lee. I am glad to help." With a sigh, he cautiously rested his head against Lee's arm, as they walked along. He wanted to ask a question about what he was doing back at Naruto's shop, but something told him not to bring it up. "Uh… Lee?"

**JapanEmoGirl**  
Lee had to stop himself from just tackling Gaara to the ground when he felt his head on his arm. He tried to keep his blush down and looked the other way from the shorter male. They were getting closer to his house, so he sped up a bit.

He jumped and looked at Gaara when he spoke his name, blush still on face, "y-yes, Gaara-kun?" He stuttered again. He cleared his throat, and hit his chest, just as he did the first time. Why was he so nervous around Gaara? He knew he had feelings, but they can't be that strong, can it?

He reached the house, and sighed, releasing his breath he didn't know he was holding. He opened the door, holding it for Gaara. Lee took the bags in the kitchen, and got ready to cook.

**XxGaaraloverxX**  
Gaara swallowed thickly, pausing after Lee responded back. By the time that he was about to say something, he noticed Lee's house was getting closer, and he shook his head. "N-Never mind… I'll talk about it after we eat." He lifted his head off of Lee's shoulder when he jumped a bit, afraid that he may have upset Lee. He blushed and looked away from Lee, still confused about these feelings that floated around in his stomach.

He looked up and saw Lee open the door for him, and carefully walked through, and bowed in thanks. He was silent, when Lee walked into the kitchen, and fallowed him, just in case he needed some help.

**JapanEmoGirl**  
Lee, trying to forget what had happened, put the bread and dairy away, and pulled out two aprons. He handed a red one to Gaara. It had a funny little cow on it that said 'Eat More Chicken', "Here, put this on so you won't get your clothes all dirty." Lee said with a smile. He put on his own, which was green and had a kiss stamp on it that said 'Kiss the Chef'. Lee chuckled at the aprons humor.

He got out a bowl, flour, and measuring cups. He continued bringing out things needed for making pancakes, "You've never cooked, right? This will be a perfect time to teach you! Now, we are making pancakes. First, you put two and a haft scoops of flour in the bowl. Second, you put three eggs in the bowl, also." He pointed at the stuff, "Can you do that for me, please?"

**XxGaaraloverxX**  
Gaara nodded and took off his hood and put on the cute little red apron, pulling it over his head, and tying it in the back, neatly. He felt nervous, what if he did something wrong? He shook the fright away, and washed his hands at the sink, figuring that is the first thing to do before cooking, and made sure to fallow Lee and take mental notes of what to do to make pancakes. He loved pancakes. He would always eat them, or waffles for breakfast at the castle, and now he gets to make them for himself.

Gaara nodded to Lee's question, and smiled when Lee brought out the items needed for the cooking lesson to begin. Listening to Lee, Gaara grabbed the measuring cup and opened the flour bag, dipping the cup in and taking out a full cup, dumping it in the bowl. He repeated it again, and for the third time, he measured it perfectly when it came to the half marker, and dumped it into the bowl. He closed the flour bag, and placed the cup down, and went to the eggs. He grabbed one and tapped it against the edge of the bowl until he heard it crack gently. Slowly, he pulled the two eggshells apart and watched as the clear substance and yolk filling dropped from the egg. He was careful to not spill the sticky eggs over the counter, and did the same to two more eggs, before discarding the shells in the trash. He thought that he should mix it, since the eggs were just sitting on top of the flour oddly, so he grabbed a wooden spoon and mixed it together. He didn't know if he was supposed to do this, but he thought that he was doing it right, even without Lee's assistance telling him so. "I-I am supposed to mix it… right?" He asked, pausing from mixing it, while looking up at Lee.

**JapanEmoGirl**  
Lee watched Gaara break the eggs apart, and smiled at a job well done. He went to wash his hands. Once done, he pulled out a pan from under the counter, and wiped it down with a paper towel. He placed it on the stove, and threw the towel away. Lee turned the stove on, and opened the fridge, grabbing butter. He placed it next to the stove, and opened a drawer. He grabbed a butter knife, and cut a small piece of butter from the tube. He put the sliced butter in the pan and the rest back in the fridge.

"Yes, you do. And, add water and the pancake mix when you are done mixing. Then, put the mix in his pan, a little at a time. We do not want oversized pancakes, or to small pancakes." Lee chuckled, and smoothed the butter around in the pan, watching it sizzle, and eat the butter right up.

**XxGaaraloverxX**  
Gaara smiled at doing a job well done, and started to mix it as much he could, before it started to get a bit clotty. He grabbed the cup and put a cupful of water into the bowl, and started to mix it a bit better, now that it wasn't clotting up as badly any more thanks to the water. At the corner of his vision, he watched Lee prepare the stove and watched how Lee sliced bits of the butter stick off and picked the pan up as it was getting hot, and swished the butter around until it started to melt and sizzle.

With the mix starting to turn more into a liquidly type of batter, Gaara grabbed the pancake mix and poured it in, mixing it well. Eventually, the batter became a nice and syrupy texture, and it looked ready to pour into the hot pan. So with caution, he grabbed a large spoon, and scooped a bit of the mixture, and poured it gently into the pan into a nice and perfect circle at the edge of the large pan. Gaara smiled at the accomplishment, and continued to scoop and pour perfect circular pancakes into the pan in a neat and linear arrangement until there was no more room in the pan to put any more of the mixture. "H-How's that?"

**JapanEmoGirl**  
Lee carefully watched Gaara. The stove was the dangerous part, and he was afraid that Gaara would be burnt. He rested his hand on the counter, leaning on it slightly to get a better angle of Gaara's pouring, "Perfect," he smiled and gave a thumbs up, "now, just wait a little while, and the pancake will be ready to flip. Here," he opened another drawer and grabbed a spatula, "you use this is flip it. Careful, though. It can get messy. That's why we are wearing aprons."

He winked and laughed at his own joke. Lee walked to a cabinet, opened it, and grabbed two plates, and two cups. He closed it with his elbow, and went over to the table, setting it neatly. He walked to another drawer, the same one he used to get the butter knife, and pulled out two forks. Sense he was thinking about it, he put the used butter knife in the sink, "Seems Naruto had enough time to wash all my dishes, too." He said, looked at the forks carefully, "Hinata must have helped him."

He walked back to the table, set the forks down, and went over to the stove where Gaara was still standing, "Alright, I think it's time to flip it, Gaara-kun."

**XxGaaraloverxX**  
Gaara's heart beat a bit faster when Lee praised him for doing a good job at pouring the pancakes. He was happy that he was doing well, on his first mission to cook. Gaara nodded taking in the information carefully, as he watched Lee grab a spatula to flip the pancakes with. Gaara went to grab the spatula, but accidentally grabbed onto Lee's hand that was holding it, "Oh, s-sorry." He stuttered, jerking his hand back and moved his hand up to grab the top of the spatula, and grasped it to use for flipping the pancakes. He felt a blush on his cheeks, at that moment of contact, but he shook it off.

Gaara kept an eye on the stove, and the pancakes. Hearing Lee grabbing plates and silverware to lie out so they could eat. The clacks and clinking of plates and the sizzling of the butter filled the silent kitchen, until Lee spoke about the way Naruto cleaned his dishes while he was away, along with that other lady, Hinata. "That was nice of him and her to do." He added, silently, as he kept his gaze upon the sizzling stove and not knowing when to flip them or not.

Lee's voice made him jump, as he told him to flip the pancakes, and so immediately Gaara did as he was told. He slid the spatula under one of the circular cakes, and slowly lifted it, and flipped it with caution and quickly putting it back in the same spot. He did it to the rest of them, and watched as the side that was cooking, was now a nice golden brown color, not burnt at all. He guessed that this side would have cooked for the same amount of time that it took for the other side to get cooked, so he waited for the same amount of time, and took the pan off of the stove, and walked over to their plates, and gave Lee three pancakes, and he gave himself two.

Gaara walked back to the stove and placed the large pan on the other burner that wasn't on, and turned off the one that was burning. He walked back to their plates and surveyed how he cooked the pancakes, and they looked good and ready to eat, and they both smelt so delicious.

**JapanEmoGirl**  
Lee was taken back. Gaara knew what to do without him telling him. Sure, it was common sense to know, but Gaara has never cooked in his life, so he has told Lee. Other than that, Lee expected the pancakes to be just a little burnt, but it wasn't that at all. It looked mouthwatering. The nice, golden brown look, and the smell of fresh, delicious pancakes, made Lee want to just eat it all right now. He walked next to Gaara, and smiled, "These look fantastic!" He said, sitting down. He picked up his fork, and cut the pancake. It wasn't hard, but a nice, soft texture. He slipped it in his mouth, and it was like an orgasm in there, "Wow!" He yelled, taking another bite, "You, Gaara-kun, are a natural! Are you sure you never cooked before?"

Lee didn't understand. He used the same thing Lee uses whenever he cooks pancakes, but it never turned out this good, "Looks to me like you are the one who has to give me lessons." He chuckled. Lee stood up, and picked up Gaara's and his glasses, "Want some juice, or milk?" He asked.

**XxGaaraloverxX**  
As Gaara sat down and ate at some of his pancakes; he hummed at how good that they were. Even the castle cooks couldn't make his pancakes taste this good. Gaara almost dropped his fork when Lee complimented him on a job well done. "R-Really? You really like them?" His answer was met with a half-eaten plate from Lee, as he started his. "I-I am sure, I haven't… I've never even touched a stove before, until now." He smiled, and looked down out of shyness. He was happy that he made Lee a nice meal, and that he enjoyed it so much. "I'm glad that you liked it."

Gaara's eyes widened when he heard Lee say that he was going to have to give his caretaker lessons. Gaara laughed a bit, "Aww, Lee you're so sweet." He smiled, as he started to eat his meal one more, happy to have something in his stomach. Gaara looked over at Lee, and smiled at his offer, "I would like some milk, please, thank you."

Gaara didn't have much on his plate to start, so it was easy to finish off, Lee had a lot more to finish off, so when he returned with their beverages, he said a quick "Thank you" and sipped at his nice and cold milk. He watched as Lee ate, and the room filled with silence again, and he thought that it would be a nice time to ask his question that he was holding back from earlier. "U-Um, Lee? I-I was wondering… um… B-Back at Naruto's place-uh… what… What happened? Wh-What were you going to do?" If Lee didn't want to answer, then he didn't have to, but it was up to him, he was just curious of what his intentions were. He was still unsure of what Lee was going to do, and he wanted to be clear on what he tried. Was he trying to tell him something? Or was it something else?


	6. Chapter 6

**JapanEmoGirl  
**When Lee finished, and sighed happily and patted his belly. But, that question came, and Lee dropped his cup in shock, spilling his orange juice all over the floor, "Ah!" he yelped, and ran for the towels, cleaning up his mess. His face was red, and his heart started to beat again. Was Gaara really curious? Lee didn't want to tell him. He was too embarrassed. But, he has to. He doesn't want to lie to the redhead. That would be terrible to him.

Lee stood up, and through the towels away, picked up the plates and his split cup, and put it in the sink. He kept his back turned from Gaara, sense his face was still red, and began to wash the dishes, "U-um, well, you see I-um... I d-didn't know what I was-uh, d-doing- B-but! Um, I-I-I have a..." Lee sighed. He tried to calm down. He took deep breaths, and started again, "Listen, Gaara-kun, I was trying to... k-k-TELL you a secret! Y-Yeah!"

Lee face-palmed. He was such a coward. What kind of man can't even tell someone their feelings? Training was supposed to make him stronger. Not weaker, "No, sorry. That is not the reason..." he turned off the water, and turned to face Gaara. He took a deep breath, and stood where he was. He was too afraid to move, "the truth is, I was trying to get closer to you because i was too overwhelmed with my feelings... I was trying to... kiss you..." he mumbled out the last part.

Gosh, he felt embarrassed. He didn't want Gaara to walk out mad at him. He was a Prince, for crying out loud. Lee shouldn't do anything like that to royalty. Gaara was most likely disgusted. Lee knew Gaara would walk out the door right now, and have him beheaded for attempting to kiss a betrothed Prince. What's worse, is that Gaara and Lee were both male. It was forbidden, and they both knew that. Lee would behead himself too, if he was in Gaara's place. He knows Gaara does not like Lee, the way Lee likes him.

**XxGaaraloverxX**  
Suddenly, a clack was heard and he watched as Lee dropped his glass onto the floor. It was lucky that it didn't shatter on impact, it did have a crack in it, but Lee's orange juice spilt all over the floor, making Gaara feel terrible about asking in the first place, perhaps he shouldn't have said anything. Now Lee wasted perfectly good orange juice, he would make sure to pay Lee to buy some more at the store. He would also have to buy Lee a new cup, which he didn't mind of course. But why that reaction?

He stood up abruptly, when he saw the spilt beverage, ready to help and clean it, but Lee ended up cleaning it quickly before he managed to grab a towel. Gaara was ready to grab the plates next to clean, and then Lee ended up grabbing them and already he was up at the sink. The man was quick on his feet, that's for sure. Instead, Gaara just stood there a bit dumbfounded at Lee's reaction to his question, listening to what he was going to say.

It was a bit difficult to understand his stuttering and his soft words when he spoke out into a whisper, but when he yelped out "TELL" it made Gaara jump a bit out of fright. His head lowered a bit, not expecting that response, but he still accepted it, with an "Oh, ok." That he whispered softly. But then he heard a soft slap sound and saw Lee's hand upon his forehead, like he just palmed himself in the forehead. Gaara walked up to Lee, as he back was turned, keeping a few feet from him, "Lee? Is everything ok?" For a response, Lee turned back around and told the truth.

Even though, Lee mumbled the last part out, he managed to catch the grasp of what he said. "Kiss?! Lee was trying to kiss me!?" Gaara's eyes widened, but he didn't say a word; he just stared at Lee in disbelief. "Th-There was no way he… Lee doesn't like me like that…! D-Does he?" He thought, panic-stricken through his mind. Even though he wanted to just leave through those doors, instead he just stood there and raised a hand to his mouth, in a shocked pose. He couldn't believe that Lee confessed to trying to kiss the prince of Suna.

He could see the sadness and guilt that radiated off of the other male, and he could just tell what he was thinking. He thought that Gaara would be disgusted, horrified, and dismayed about the whole situation. He thought that he was going to get himself killed, not only for trying to kiss the prince, but for the act of homosexuality. So that is why Naruto cleared his throat and gave off that sly grin like he did. He knew that Lee was going to make a move, but he interrupted it. But now, there is no interruption.

Gaara moved closer to Lee, and looked up at him. He was only a few inches away from the older male. "Lee… Do you… Do you honestly feel that way about me? Enough for you to… to kiss me?" He asked, not in disgust, but in curiosity. Gaara has never even kissed Sakura on the lips before. He didn't know that Lee felt such feelings for him. They seemed similar to the feelings that Gaara was feeling towards the other male, but could it be possibly true?

A pale hand lifted to press into Lee's chest, feeling the others wild heartbeat thudding in his chest; he was so nervous, just like Gaara was. Aquatic eyes looked up into those dark pools just like earlier that day when they were at Naruto's place. Gaara swallowed thickly, a clear blush spread across his face and neck. He was so nervous.

**JapanEmoGirl**  
The floor suddenly looked more interesting than before. There was a crack in the middle of it, and an ant climbing out of it. Lee stared intensely at the ant. He has to remember to patch up that crack, so no more ants can get in. Lee dared not to look into the Princes eyes. He was terrified to do so. Gaara most likely hates him now. Why did he tell him? Kissing the Prince was unacceptable. Gaara doesn't feel the same, Lee knows. The ant wandered around on the floor, foraging for food.

Lee felt the hand on his chest, and looked away from the distracting ant. He looked into Gaara's eyes. His beautiful eyes. He didn't know how to answer Gaara's question. Lees mother told him, when he was a child, that you should only kiss people you love. Does this mean Lee loves Gaara? Impossible. Lee has heard many stories about how love is wonderful. It's supposed to be joyful, cheerful, happy. Even Lee's trainer has told him about how love is the most beautiful thing in the world. But, what Lee was feeling was the exact opposite. Lee felt hot and sweaty. His palm felt clammy and his heart thumped loudly. He felt weak and nervous. Was it because Lee knows Gaara doesn't love his back?

Lee cleared his throat. He took a big breath. He grabbed the counter tops tightly. Almost to wear his knuckles turned white. He could feel the counter cracking, but he didn't worry about it. Right now, his only worry was Gaara, "I... I am sorry, Gaara-kun, b-but I think I do..." His gaze turned back to the ant. It was now trying to find its way back to the crack, with a small crumb of a pancake on its back.

**XxGaaraloverxX**  
He didn't take his gaze off of Lee, even as he seemed to look at the floor with a great interest. It made him a bit frightened to ask. Why was Lee acting like this? If he was trying to kiss him, then he would have had feelings for him. But why does he act like he doesn't want to accept them. He has read in countless stories that love is a wonderful feeling. It makes the heart flutter with joy, and makes the person that is infatuated feel like he or she is on top of the world. But Lee looked like the complete opposite.

His breath hitched when Lee managed to unlock his gaze with the floor and look back up at him. Those eyes contained something close to uneasiness, shadowed with a slight bit of nervousness. He didn't dare say a word, afraid that he might miss a huge moment of suspense that seemed to unfold in the tense kitchen. Lee looked like he had seen a ghost, he was sweating a bit, and he heard his hands grip the edge of the counter, eventually hearing a cracking sound from his harsh grip. Just from his composure, Gaara could tell that Lee was going to say something catastrophic.

To Gaara's suspicion, he was correct. His eyes widened again, as he watched Lee break his gaze with him, and look back down at the floor. Even though Lee wasn't looking at him directly, he could tell that he wasn't lying. But how could this be true? No one could ever love Gaara like this. Even Sakura didn't seem to like him at all, and she was be-wed to him. He didn't think that anyone could feel this way, but his heart was telling him otherwise. Could he feel the same?

His body moved on its own, as he moved his other hand up to Lee's face, landing on his cheek, forcing him to look at his own eyes. He wanted to scream. He wanted to push Lee away. He wanted to tell him that "You lying!" and "You don't love me!" But his brain had other ideas, as he spoke so softly he could barely hear himself speak, but he knew that it was loud enough from their distance from each other. "I think… I think I feel the same, Lee-kun…" Kun. Gaara didn't used to call Lee by that honorific. It was always San. Lee-san. Never Lee-kun. Why did he change that, he didn't believe that his tongue was on his side, as it seemed to spit out words that he didn't want to be spoken.

Gaara swallowed thickly, his heart thudding in his ears; it seemed so loud compared to the silent house that they were currently standing in. The privacy of Lee's home only made the situation even more tempting. No one was here. No one can know. No one can tell them that it is wrong. No one can deny their love, and it was true. Lee did love him. And he was sure that he loved Lee back. He just needed him to prove it. "I-If you do love me… Th-Then-Then show me." He had to know that Lee wasn't lying. If he was telling the truth then he would need to prove himself to the prince. "Show me, then… Kiss me." The hand that was on Lee's chest moved up to his shoulder, and squeezed it. Lee couldn't be lying. If he was, then his heart would be shattered.

**JapanEmoGirl**  
The raven haired male didn't look at Gaara, until he felt his hand. The warm, pale hand touched his face. He looked Gaara straight in his beautiful eyes. He held back. He has to stop himself from taking the redhead right now. He can't take advantage of him now. He is still trying to figure out his feelings. But then, Gaara's voice struck him. He feels the same? Oh, sweet Lord in Heaven, Gaara, Prince of Suna, loves Lee Rock, typical Farm man?! Holy shit. He couldn't believe it.

Lee didn't hesitate. He cupped Gaaras face, and slowly moved in, giving Gaara a loving, tender kiss. He moved his lips, and pulled his hands down to Gaaras waist. The kiss was amazing. Lee knew what his feeling was now. He didn't deny that he loved Gaara anymore. Screw the law. He had the redhead right now, and that's all he wanted.

**XxGaaraloverxX**  
As Gaara's brain finally caught up to what his heart was making him say, his eyes widened. What the hell did he just say!? He almost wanted to backtrack, and was about to, until he felt those hands grasp his face, making him freeze and stare up at Lee with scared eyes. Was he really going to do it? He thought that Lee was going to be the one to push him away. To be the one to yell at the prince. Instead what he felt was the others lips on his own.

His mind went immediately blank, forgetting about everything other than this moment in time. His eyes shut on contact, and he was about to take a fall backwards, as his vision swam and he started to see dots in his closed lids. Luckily, Lee managed to keep him standing by sliding his hands down and holding him by his waist, but in turn made him jump a bit in their grasp. His heart beat so quickly, that he could have sworn that he felt it stop, hearing nothing at all.

Gaara's eyes rolled back slightly, when he felt Lee's lips begin to move against his. Shyly, Gaara did the same, feeling that wonderful nausea feeling swirling in his stomach again, just like in the store, except it was so much stronger. He felt lightheaded and groaned a bit in his throat from the sudden feeling engulfing him. The butterflies in his stomach were fluttering rapidly, so he gripped a bit harder onto Lee's shoulder, and moved his other hand down to Lee's collarbone and off of his face.

He felt like he was dying, but it felt so good. It reminded him of a story tale that he read, called Bambi. This moment felt like the time when a female deer named Feline gave Bambi a kiss on the cheek, and his whole environment around him turned into a heavenly scene of soft and fluffy clouds. That is how he felt at this moment, right now. He just hoped that his wonderful dreamlike kiss wouldn't be interrupted by another person, just like Ronno, the other male deer, did in the story.

It would be horrifying if a guard was that "Ronno," and he came to the doors and interrupted them, only to take Gaara away from Lee, just like in the tale, where Ronno tried to steal Feline away from Bambi. But he knew that Lee would fight for him if that were to happen. Lee would be the Bambi and the hero of the story and rescue Gaara if that story took a terrible twist in reality, and it would all be a happy ending.

Gaara became a bit brave, and tilted his head and pressed his face upwards to Lee, adding more pressure onto their lips. God, how he never wanted this to end.  
(Sorry I just had to mention "Bambi" in this part X3 I just couldn't stop thinking about it when I read your part)

**JapanEmoGirl**  
Lee didn't want it to end. He wanted to kiss those lips all he could. Gaara began to kiss back, so that meant he wouldn't push him back. He still couldn't believe he was kissing the Prince. It was a dream come true. He was happy he choose yesterday to come back from training. He was glad he ran into Gaara. At this moment, he wanted to tell Gaara everything. He wanted to run away with Gaara. Just like in his dream. Did his dream tell the future? It sort of foreshadowing this, wasn't it? Whatever it was, he highly thanked it. He thanked it for letting him meet Gaara, and being able to kiss him like this. The kiss was incredible- Wait a minute...

He was kissing the Prince.

Lee pulled back a little, enough to look him in the eyes. He didn't know how much he needed to breathe, until he pulled back. The room spinned, and his mind was fogged, "T... told you." He whispered, and tried to push out a chuckle.

**XxGaaraloverxX  
**Gaara didn't back, but Lee did. His eyes didn't open, but he could feel Lee's staring into his closed lids. It took him a moment to remember to breathe, as he finally took a deep breath in, filling his lungs with that precious oxygen. He opened his eyes, and looked up at Lee's. This all had to be a dream of some sort. There was no way that Lee's arms were wrapped around his waist. There was no way his own hands rested on Lee's chest, and feeling the hard thud of the others heart. There was no way that he had kissed him. Lee had kissed him. Lee had kissed the Prince of Suna, and the redhead liked it. As he looked into those dark eyes, it looked as if Lee had liked it, too.

Gaara was speechless. What was there to say? Lee spoke first, bring is attention to those lips again as he moved them, listening to the sound that came from them. Then it was true. Lee was not lying. The prince challenged him, told him to kiss him, and he accepted the challenge. Lee succeeded. Almost enough to blur the younger man's vision, the kiss was amazing. It was nothing like he has ever seen or read about before. It blew his mind. Gaara swallowed once, and then again. He tried to speak, tried to make words come to his mouth, but Lee stole his breath away with just a single kiss. How could it be possible?

He couldn't bring himself to speak, so instead of words, he used actions. Slowly, he moved his arms up and around Lee's neck, and moved closer to the older man, pressing himself against him in a gentle hug. His face found the curvature of Lee's neck, and he softly sighed, just leaning onto the other male. Hopefully, this gentle sign of affection could speak for him to Lee. To tell him, "I told you, too" back. His eyes closed, just to feel Lee's body pressed against his, was almost as majestic as those lips against his, but he was certain that nothing was going to be beating that for a while.

**JapanEmoGirl**  
Lee felt the arms wrap around him, and smiled. The small redhead accepted his feelings and, better yet, returned them. Lee was so happy. He was the luckiest person on Earth, to have this certain redhead in his arms. He never wanted him to let go. Lee hugged back, tightly. He buried his face in Gaaras messy mop of hair. He smelled it. It smelt good. Like fresh raspberries. Gaara was like Lee's little berry, considering the fact that he even tastes like strawberries. Lee wondered if he even had some blueberry in him somewhere.

Then, he remembered something. The pictures. But, Lee didn't want to let go. He decided to let go, once Gaara let go. Which, he hoped wasn't soon.

**XxGaaraloverxX**  
Gaara sighed when Lee held him tightly. He couldn't believe that Lee had feelings for him. No one has loved the prince of Suna before. He thought that he would never find true love. But now, he feels like he has finally found what he has been searching for. Someone to hold close, when he feels lonely. Someone to kiss when he has doubts, resolving them immediately. That someone is Lee. He may have only met him yesterday, yet he feels as though he has given his first kiss to the right person. It truly was, Love at first sight.

Gaara took a deep breath, breathing in the scent of the older male. He smelt like nature. Like a gentle breeze of spring air from a garden of fresh crops. He never knew that anyone could smell like this.

Gaara pulled back, and looked into Lee's eyes once more, and this time had the courage to speak. "S-So what you said… was true." Gaara smiled, as he reached onto his tippy toes and gave Lee another quick kiss.

He released Lee, and started to walk out of the kitchen, stopping at the doorway. "Well… Aren't you going to show me those pictures?" He said as he looked over his shoulder with a graceful smile.

**JapanEmoGirl**  
He was just awestruck. Lee smiled down at the redhead when he gave him a quick kiss, "Of course it's true." That's all he could stay at the situation. What else was there to say? He loved the Prince. The Prince loved him back. They will live happily ever after. Just like Lee would hear mother say after every story.

When Gaara pulled back, and walked away, Lee felt the warmth he had from the redhead vanish. He sadden a little, but perked right up when Gaara spoke. Oh, yes. The pictures. Lee gave a toothy grin, and walked to Gaara, "Follow me," he said, taking the smaller ones hand. He let him upstairs, and down the hall to the room on the right. It was the only room, besides Lee's, that was upstairs. Lee opened the door, and stared at the room. So many memories, "this used to be my room when I was little," he explained, "a lot of my childhood memories are in here. As well as my parents things. I never had the heart to throw them out." He smiled, remembering his mother and father. Lee bent down, and started looking in the boxes. He went slow, remembering the good memories. He pulled out a photo book, "Aha!" He said, "Found you! This is my photo book. It has all the pictures from when I was three to fourteen. Fourteen was the when I went out of the kingdom to train with my trainer" he tapped the book lightly.

**XxGaaraloverxX**  
Gaara smiled, as his hand was taken by the older male, and he followed him without a word. He led him to the other bedroom that was upstairs, other than Lee's. He remembered when Lee told him that he was going to fix it up for the prince, but now he didn't' want sleep in this room alone. He wanted to be with Lee, and in his room. It was still unbelievable now that Lee even had feelings for the prince. He took a huge risk. If Gaara didn't like Lee in return, he could have easily taken him to the authorities, and have him arrested. Strangely, Gaara did feel the same, and greatly returned Lee's feelings. He was happy that Lee took the chance.

Gaara bent over and put his hands on his knees, watching Lee bring out a large photo album. He frowned a bit when he heard about his parents, Lee never really did tell him about them. "What happened to your parents, Lee-kun?" He liked to call Lee that. It made him feel as though no one else can ever steal him away. When he managed to bring the album out completely, Gaara smiled as he sat on the floor next to Lee, so they could share a nice moment of memories. Gaara smiled when Lee mentioned his training session at the age of fourteen. "Who was your trainer? And why did you go out to train?" He didn't know why he was asking all of these personal questions. He just wanted to get to know Lee more. Like this was the moment to ask and tell. Gaara would give Lee information about himself, he just needed to ask. This was the moment of truth.

**JapanEmoGirl**  
Lee's smile disappeared. His parents... only God knows what really happened, "My trainers name is Gai Mighto. He's incredible! He taught me everything I know. I really started training at age of seven. I knew I wanted to protect people, and i wanted to prove everyone who said otherwise that I would be a great guard of the King one day. I started working hard for it, and gained more reasons why i wanted to become stronger. One of them was to surpass Naruto," he chuckled as he remembered the little fights him and the blonde would get into, "Master Gai took me far away when I was fourteen to do the next step of my training."

Lees eyes seemed the sparkle talking about it. He had many wonderful stories about his adventure. But, then, this eyes stopped, and his smiling stopped, "This room is my last memory of my parents. When I heard they... died, I hurried back as fast as I could. I remember screaming, and crying at the fact that they were gone... I ended up boxing up all their stuff. Moms cooking, and knitting stuff... Dads hunting, and exercise equipment. Heh, even the stories they read me. They died when I was only sixteen. The letter that was sent to me, said they died because a runaway horse had a field day," Lee paused for a moment, "... that just pushed my wish to protect people. I don't want to lose anyone else." He sighed, and rubbed the book a little, "Eventually, I went back to my training."

**XxGaaraloverxX**  
Gaara sat and listened to Lee, eyes never leaving his darkened gaze. He smiled when Lee mentioned his trainer. They seemed to be close, like an uncle would. He was happy that Lee was proud of his accomplishments from his training. He knew firsthand how strong Lee had become. He thought that the guard was going to lose a hand from the way he was gripping it earlier in the day.

He didn't know why Lee's wonderful smile turned into a frown. Gaara hoped that he didn't hit a hard nerve. Gaara frowned when Lee did, and listened to Lee's tale of his past. It was odd how he mentioned a "Runaway Horse." What could that possibly mean? That could have meant a lot of different outcomes. The horse could have run them over, or something similar. It was a mystery, but Gaara was not going to pursue it any further. He didn't want Lee to be upset. "I-I'm so sorry, Lee-kun." He put his hand onto Lee's for comfort, trying to take away that sadness in his eyes.

Lee's wish was a wonderful one. He wanted to protect people. Lee was protecting him, and he knew that the moment that they met. No wonder Lee was as protective that he is. He has lost so much, and he doesn't want to lose anymore. To Lee's mention of his reaction after coming back to an empty home with no mother or father, Gaara hugged Lee gently. He felt so bad for mentioning it now. "I-I'm sorry, I shouldn't have brought it up… I didn't mean to get you upset." But when Lee mentioned his dream was to become stronger so he could protect the king, his eyebrow scrounged in confusion. It was Lee's dream to become part of the castle, and that is the reason. But… Why did he leave his dream that he has worked so hard to achieve? "Uh, Lee? If your dream was to become part of the castle, then why did you abandon it? What is your dream now?"

**JapanEmoGirl**  
Lee smiled at the comfort. Gaara was sweet, "It's alright. I would have told you sooner or later." He smiled and held his hand back. He still thought of the happy memories. Being in this room kind of felt like his parents were here again. He was happy in this room. Even if it smelt like dust.

He looked at Gaara, "I haven't. I am protecting someone. I'm protecting you, Gaara-kun. Protecting the king was a past time. Just like my crush on Princess Sakura. But, now, I just want to protect you, and make sure your dream comes true." He smiled, and stood up. He took Gaara, by the hand, with him downstairs, and to the couch, "that room was getting smelly," he chuckled and sat down, "by the way, what us your dream, Gaara-kun?"

**XxGaaraloverxX**  
Gaara was glad that Lee wasn't upset from him asking such a personal question. It was horrible to lose his parents, and he felt bad for him. Poor Lee must have been through hell and back when he found out about his parents dying. Aquatic eyes looked up when Lee held him back. He felt happy and complete with Lee in his arms. Like nothing could separate them.

When Lee pulled back a bit to look at him, Gaara listened in on what he said about his own dream. He hasn't abandoned it? And he is still protecting? It shocked him that Lee would want to protect the prince instead of the king like his childhood dreams told. Gaara's eyes widened when Lee told him that his dream was to make Gaara's own come true. It was a nice dream, and it was wonderful that Lee cared so much about Gaara's futuristic goals. But the real question was what were Gaara's dreams? He didn't think that he would make it this far. His current dream was to escape the castle, and he has succeeded in that goal. So what were his dreams now? Was it to find his true love? If that was the case, then he already succeeded in that goal too. He found Lee. He loved Lee, and Lee loved him back. Gaara scrunched at the thought. Gaara didn't really even pay attention when Lee took him downstairs, and sat on the couch. The redhead blinking at the change in environment, and how dense he was at the moment.

"I… I don't know what my dreams are. I didn't think I would get this far. My first dream was to escape from the castle. Then it was to find true love. I have succeeded in those dreams… I have left the castle, and I have found you, Lee." Gaara looked at the ground and thought. There had to be something that he still wanted to achieve. Perhaps get his horse back from the stables? Or maybe he wanted to build his own empire, with Lee by his side? Where there weren't as many rules as the kingdom holds today. Homosexuality would be allowed, and no one would be killed over the silliest things. Hell, there will even be two kings controlling the castle. But that dream was so far out. He would have to get Sakura off of the pedestal for becoming princess and queen of Konoha. If she marries a prince then Konoha was as good as gone. She is cruel, and wouldn't know how to run a castle. Maybe he can make some changes if he gets back into the throne. Lee would be a good king. Gaara knew it.

"I-I guess… My new dream is to start my own castle. I couldn't stand being in the old one. Their ways were horrid, and greed controlled them. I don't want that. I want a place where people can live happily and freely. Taxes won't destroy their family's wealth. And small businesses can prosper in a thriving economy. My people won't starve, and everyone can be happy. No one will have to hide. Executions will not control the land by their laws." Gaara smiled at his own dream. It sounded so unrealistic. His people disliked him; they disliked the prince of Suna. They all thought that he was a greedy bastard like the rest of the royal family.

**JapanEmoGirl**  
Lee blushed and looked at the ground when Gaara said he was his true love. He rubbed the back of his head, and gave a toothy smile. When Gaara started talking about his dream, Lee listens carefully, thinking of a way he could help Gaara. Maybe, Gaara could call off the proposal. Was it really that hard? Hell, Lee wouldn't know. He's not of the royal family. Start his own castle... Lee had a pretty good idea how to help, but he didn't know how to get Gaara away from the Kingdom without going to jail. He needed a horse, but he had no money. When he gets the money, he will help Gaara. By then, his own dream will be granted.

Without telling his thoughts, Lee smiled, "I will think of a way to help. Now, time to look at the pictures," Lee opened the book, and handed it to Gaara.

**XxGaaraloverxX**  
Gaara nodded and smiled, Lee was right, now was not the time to dread upon unreachable dreams, and now was the time to sit back, relax, and look into memories of the good times past.

Gaara gently took the dusty album from Lee's grasp, and opened it slowly. He knew that photography was still a new thing, and was surprised that Lee and his family could afford still life photos. It was not cheap, and it was even more expensive to get them in color. What was shown was a sepia colored tone photos, a usual other than black and white. These were a bit old, due to seeing Lee's smiling young face looking back at him. "Aww, Lee-kun you looked so cute~!" Gaara saw little pictures of Lee as a baby, and as a grown child.

The one that caught his attention was the one where Lee was atop a horse, dressed as a knight. The horse was a bit big for his height, meaning that Lee should have been around the age of 10 or older. Next to the horse were two adults, a male and a female. It must have been Lee's parents. Lee looked just like his father. He looked over, in the same picture, and saw a man that had his hands folded and an angry face was upon him, dressed as a usual princess. He reminded him of that "Neji" that they met. Next to him, was a girl that had two buns on either side of her head, and she had a book in her lap. "Are those your parents? And is that your horse Lotus? What a beautiful Quarter Horse. And you look just like your father, Lee-kun." Gaara was usually very good at telling what breed a horse is just by the stature, and definition of the animal. This horse blended in with the deep dark off-brown of the sepia tone, and it signaled that it was a light brown colored horse. It had no socks, and the neck stature and body position just screamed out, "Quarter Horse." Gaara was sure of it.

**JapanEmoGirl**  
Lee giggled at the memories, "Yes. Those are my parents. That one in the dress is Neji, and the girl holding the book is Ten Ten. This was before I met Naruto. When he was here," Lee pointed at another picture with a blonde boy next to him, "he was my sidekick. But, soon, Neji, or Nejiko was his Princess name, got tired of playing the girl. We just stopped playing that game all together." He smiled and looked at some more pictures.

He saw a picture of the horse, and put his fingers on it, running them across the old photo, "yeah, that's Lotus. He was the best horse ever. I had him forever." He smiled. Lee looked at Gaara, then back at the photo, "I guess it was his time. He's most likely in horse Heaven now." He laughed.


	7. Chapter 7

**XxGaaraloverxX  
**Aquatic eyes wondered over the photos, smiling at the pleased giggle that Lee made. He listened carefully, as he fallowed Lee's finger point to what he was saying.

It made him giggle a bit knowing that the picture of the "Neji" with the dress was the person that he met today. Gaara could only imagine how Lee managed to convince the stoic male at the bakery to dress up as a female.

When Lee spoke about his loyal steed, it made him think about his own poor animal at the royal stables. Perhaps he could manage to sneak into the castle grounds to sneak his own horse out of there as well. He hated Shukaku being there all alone. His own steed was extremely loyal to him, and probably would risk its own life for Gaara. He was smart, agile, and quick on its feet. Not only that, but he noticed that Lee didn't own a working horse at his small farm. Perhaps he could let Lee use him for carrying his produce for a wagon, to the city for easy transportation. Lee would surly get more money that way, and it would make his day easier. Not only that, but Shukaku could be used as a plow horse to help in the fields.

Gaara didn't mind it; Shukaku wouldn't be used for anything in the stables anyways. He would just sit in his stall and await for Gaara to come by to ride. The steed would probably like to do something other than stand around and do nothing.

"What a beautiful name." The young prince said as he watched Lee's hand brush over the old photo, as if he is touching the real thing. It was easy to tell that Lee loved his horse, who wouldn't? It just broke his heart to see Lee sad, pressing back onto old memories.

When those deep black abyss eyes met his, he felt a pang of empathy strike him. Shukaku was a young steed, only around five years of age. He never had the feeling of losing a beloved pet, but he knew that it was hard.

A pale hand reached up and gently grasped Lee's larger hand for comfort. "I am sure he is in a better place now, Lee-kun… I know for a fact that he loved you just as much as you loved him." That was all he could say; he knew the relationship between horse and rider was a precious bond. If something were to happen to Shukaku, Gaara wouldn't know what to do. He would be heartbroken.

**JapanEmoGirl**  
Lee stared longingly at the photo, caressing his thumb across the horse and himself in it. Man, did he miss Lotus. That horse was his best friend, the one who was always there whenever Lee had a problem he was too embarrassed to tell anyone else. When Lotus died, Lee felt empty. It was heartbreaking and soul crushing. Naruto would say that Lee should get over it, it was just a horse. But, in Lee's eyes, it wasn't just a horse. He was his companion, partner in crime. A brother. It took awhile. He was just happy his parents understood what he was going though. His father apologized over and over again. Lee didn't blame him, though. He knew Lotus was sick beyond healing. He was an old horse, it was understandable.

Lee was shocked out of his thoughts when he felt a hand touch his. He snapped his head down to see smooth, pale skin touching his own. Smiling, he realized it was Gaara, and relaxed from his mini heart attack, "Thanks, Gaara-kun," he said, looking at said redhead, "I am positive that he is happy, where ever he is. Watching over me, I hope," he stared lovingly into Gaara's eyes for awhile. So blue, so pretty, so... Lee cleared his throat. He quickly flipped a page, "look," he said, unwillingly tearing his eyes from Gaara's, and onto the page, "here's a picture of me and Neji after I 'saved' him."

**XxGaaraloverxX  
**There was a moment where blue met on black, and everything else seemed to fade out between them. The smaller redhead couldn't help but to blush a bit at the look that Lee gave him. It held longing, hope, and most of all love. Gaara didn't want to look away, but he felt a fluttering in his heart at the moment they laid eyes on each other.

The prince jumped a bit, when Lee cleared his throat, jerking his hand away as if touching a hot stove. He felt a little shy and embarrassed at the fact that he got lost in those eyes that he has confessed his love to the beholder. Gaara wished that he himself was a stronger person. He felt so weak and powerless under the stare of those deep Onyx colored eyes.

Yet, Gaara still fallowed with Lee to the next picture that he pointed out to. It was a cute picture that had Lee dismounted from his horse and wielding a little wooden sword with a cardboard shield in the other hand. Neji stood behind Lee, with a scowl on his face, as if Lee was rescuing him and protecting him from whatever imaginary monster stood against them. Lotus was simply grazing in the background, sort of ignoring his master in his own little world for a moment for a snack.

That picture warmed his heart a bit, and the pure determination on Lee's face in the picture reminded him of earlier that day. Even as a child, Lee seemed very protective, just as he is now. The taller male had protected him. If the guard managed to pull back his disguise he would be dragged back to that castle for sure. Not only that, but Lee would be put to death for harboring the prince. Gaara got off lucky, when he, literally, ran into Lee. He knew that he would protect him. Lee would be his knight in shining armor.

"Th-That is very lovely, Lee-kun." He said softly, his hand still tingling from where it touched the calloused skin of the taller man in the room. He didn't know if it was wise to try that again, it seemed like Lee was a bit of a shy person as well, but the prince seemed a bit bolder when it came to romantic moves. It was alright, though. Gaara was equally as inexperienced.

**JapanEmoGirl**  
Lee giggled in response, and opened his mouth to say something else, but closed it in confusion when he heard a knock, or, rather a bang, at the door. He stared at the object for awhile, then a look of panic came over him, "G-Gaara-kun," he whispered, "go into the kitchen, and hide in the cabinet under the sink. Just move stuff on the counter, if you need to. There's plenty of room."

He urged Gaara into the kitchen, and looked back at the door, "Don't make a sound," he whispered again. The door was banged on again, and he heard voices from outside. His heart started beating fast, and his palms grew sweaty. He heard of the people outside say 'Gaara'. It has to be the guards, there's no other way. He looked at Gaara to see if he was hidden, and slowly walked towards the door. Quickly putting on the act that he was cleaning, he rolled up his sleeves and pant legs, grabbing a broom on his way.

Slowly, he opened the door, "Yes?" He said out of habit, looking straight at the turned around 'gaurd' in front of him.

**XxGaaraloverxX  
**Gaara's entire body jumped from the sudden noise that echoed through the house. He turned around towards the sound of loud banging that seemed like it was coming from the front door. He almost jerked his way into Lee's lap, but refrained himself from doing so in case Lee would yell out in shock. Who could it be that wanted Lee's attention so badly? Could it be Naruto? The blonde-headed boy was rambunctious, but he didn't think that he would do something like that to Lee's front door.

Fearful aquatic eyes widened in shock when he realized that it could be none other than the guards. They would show people no mercy, and usually after the citizen would open their door, they would barge in and search the home themselves without the homeowner's permission. If they usually didn't answer within five minutes, they would let themselves in, not thinking twice about the damage they would cause. He had to hide, quickly.

Lee whispered his name, which sounded like he was screaming in his ear, making him jump again out of fright, and look his way. He didn't open his mouth, afraid of the consequences of what would happen if the guards outside heard him. They would break in immediately.

Gaara nodded when he told him to go to the kitchen and hide under the sink. Lee lead him to the kitchen, as his heart raced, and his breathing quickened. He was so frightened about what would happen if he would get caught.

Quickly, and quietly, he opened the bottom cabinet and pulled out some of the cleaning products that were in it. It would also be a great disguise to help Lee as he looked behind him seeing the taller male look as if he was cleaning, so it would work out if he had cleaning products out to assist him.

He was lucky that he was small and skinny, since he easily slid into the wooden cabinet. It was small but big enough for him to kneel underneath the sink and duck down, pulling the wooden doors closed as he shut his mouth and listened carefully. He silenced his breathing to low and shallow breaths, and kept his gaze on in the direction that Lee was at, even though he couldn't see him.

**JapanEmoGirl**  
The man gave a deep sigh, "Do you know why we're here, boy?" He said in a low, gruffed voice. His hands on his hips, and his back to Lee. Two people beside him on each side also had their back to him. They all had hoods on.

Lee gulped, and quickly got over his fear. He gripped the broom tightly, and stood still, "No, sir." He said shortly.

The man gave a chuckle, which surprised Lee, "Sir?" He said, turning around, giving Lee a big, familiar grin, "Wow, Lee, didn't think I'd see the day."

Lee nearly fell, "N-Naruto?!" He growled. He took the blonde by the ear and dragged him in the house, "You scared Gaara and I half to death!"

"Ow, ow! L-Lee! Mother mode overload!"

**XxGaaraloverxX  
**Imaginary eyebrows furrowed in confusion over the seemingly quite conversation between Lee and the guards. He could feel Lee's fear from underneath the sink, this made his own rise with worry. His confidence was dwindling and his fear was getting the better of him.

A sudden yell from Lee, made Gaara jump. Ultimately, he banged his head against the bottom of the sink, making another bang noise that he was sure that Lee and whoever he was talking too heard. Pale hands reached up to press at the tender spot, and the little bump that he will surely have. It sounded like he said "Naruto," and he was hoping to god that that was correct. If not, he was a goner.

Gaara hissed a bit in pain, and crouched his head back down and away from the evil sink that hurt him. "O-Ow… D-Damn…" He whispered quietly, hoping that no one would at least suspect him of being underneath of the sink. The only person that he wanted to know he was there was his Lee.

**JapanEmoGirl**  
Lee groaned and let go of Naruto's ear, "What are you doing here, Naruto?" He really didn't want to see the blonde right now. He wanted to spend time with Gaara a little more. Oh, no! Gaara's still in the cabinet! Lee ran for the kitchen, a confused Naruto following behind him. Quickly, he opened the door, carefully pulling the Prince out. He looked at the pained redhead, and gave a sympathetic look, "Did you hurt yourself, Gaara-kun?" He asked him, looking at the spot he was holding.

Naruto raised an eyebrow, "Neji and TenTen wanted to come and see Gaara," Naruto smiled. Lee gave him a glare, and stood up, ready to yell, "Wait up, fuzzy brows! I didn't tell them! Neji found out, and told TenTen!"

Said coupled walked into the kitchen, Neji looking rather awkward and TenTen was bouncing off the walls.

**XxGaaraloverxX**  
The prince jerked again, this time backing towards the wall, when the door opened up suddenly. It frightened him beyond comprehension; he was sure that he was caught now. Scared aqua eyes glanced up at whoever opened the cabinet without his permission, only to sigh in relief that it was only Lee. Was it safe to come out, now?

"L-Lee…?" He asked softly; as the older male reached in to assist him out of the tight and cramped area, being careful about his little injury. "Y-Yeah… I bumped my head under the sink when I heard you yell… I thought you were attacked or something." Gaara said as he placed a hand on his fluttering heart. He was relieved to see that Lee was OK.

He didn't even notice the blonde in the room, thinking it was safe and sound, as Lee looked over at his barely noticeable injury. Without warning, he hugged the taller male with a warm gesture. "I am so glad you are alright, I thought we were caught…"

It seemed that the never ending fears weren't over with him today, as the blonde made his notice by speaking about Neji and Ten-Ten. He jerked his arms away from Lee, curling them against his chest as he jumped back, looking at the blonde. He had no idea that he was here, he was very oblivious today it seemed. "N-Naruto…!? Wh-What are you doing here!?"

To heighten the fright, two others made their way into Lee's home, unsure if it was uninvitingly. Immediately catching sight of the male that Lee and Gaara were looking at in the picture album upstairs. The prince gasped, deathly afraid of being caught by the "Neji" that he met earlier today. The woman, he wasn't so worried about, but that man gave off such a powerful and scary aura it made his whole body shiver. Gaara quickly hid his way behind Lee, wondering why in the world Lee brought him out in the open when there were others to come into his home. Naruto he didn't mind seeing, but others he was not so fond of.

**JapanEmoGirl**  
"How did- when did- ugh." Lee rested his head in his palm. He groaned out in frustration, and rolled his eyes to the back of his head. He shook his head, and looked at Neji and TenTen.

Neji looked at Lee. His lips pressed together in a business form, eyes now slits of knowingness. His arms crossed. Neji slowly took in a breath, and let it out, "Is it true, Lee? You have Prince Gaara here?"

Lee didn't know rather or not he should answer. On one hand, he didn't want to lie to his best friends and make up a random story. They were to close, and it wouldn't be fair to them if they didn't know something major in his life.

On the other, he didn't want Gaara taken away from him. He doesn't think his friends would rat them out, but he doesn't want to take any chances. Neji was... one to always do the 'right' thing.

Lee looked at Gaara, a small look of asking in his eyes. It was up to Gaara rather or not he wanted to tell them the truth or not.

**XxGaaraloverxX  
**Pale hands reached up to grip at the shirt that Lee was wearing. He was caught. He knew it. The moment that "Neji" spoke up in question, he knew that he was found out. The only thing that blocked his view from Lee's friends was Lee himself.

Gaara pressed his face into Lee's back, the feeling of guilt and the shock of being caught overweighing his senses. He almost felt like crying. Surely, these people would like to turn him in for a ransom of gold from the king and become a hero to the town as the one who defeated the 'kidnapper' (Lee) and rescues the prince. He overheard Neji's hatred towards the royal family due to the tax increases and the law enforcement that ran the town. He didn't think twice that "Neji" would turn him in.

Gaara felt the gaze of Lee strike him, making him look up. He could see the asking in his eyes, but Gaara was afraid. Afraid of what would happen to his newfound love and life. Perhaps if he is quick enough he could make an escape through the back door, and disappear from this life. But, he would be leaving Lee behind. The life that he planned on having together with this man. The man that stole his first kiss.

Aquatic eyes looked down in sorrow. He truly didn't know what do to or say. If he was going to get turned in, he would much rather do it himself without Lee being involved. The last thing he wanted was his death, and a brand upon his family name as a kidnapper of royalty. It was Gaara's choice to come and stay here. Lee had nothing to do with this; he was just being kind and assisting him.

Tears rolled down his face, as he looked back up at those caring coal colored eyes he has grown to love. He would give it a shot, but if they claimed to take him back, he would make a dash for it, making sure to allow Lee to be free from this problem. He was going to make sure that Lee would not be harmed because of him.

With slow movements, he made his way around the taller male, still clinging onto his shirt, and eventually arm, as he stood next to him. Just taking one look at Neji made his heart sink, and more tears rolled down his cheeks, as he sniffled lightly. Gaara gripped onto Lee's arm tighter, and rubbed his face into it, as if trying to hide his fear and shame. He could feel his tears staining Lee's sleeve of the shirt he was wearing, which only made him feel worse.

**JapanEmoGirl**  
Lee's look saddened as Gaara moved around him. He didn't have to this, to risk himself like this. He didn't want Gaara doing something he will regret. If he didn't want to expose himself, then he didn't have to. Lee won't make him. But, it was his choice. The raven haired male respected his cute redhead's choice. He decided to trust his friends with the knowing that he's a Prince. Somehow, that made Lee really happy.

Lee wrapped an arm around the trembling redhead, moving his hand up and down his arm in a comforting way. He took a moment to stare at Gaara, then turned his hopeful gaze at his best friends, "Neji, TenTen, this is Gaara. Prince of Suna..."

Neji seemed to stare down at Gaara. His frown deepened, no other emotion was over his face, "Lee," he said after a while, "are you sure about this? He is wanted back at the castle; thousands of coins are an award for his safe return. He is betrothed, and they will not hesitate to kill you on the spot if they see him with you."

"I don't care," Lee said, bravely. He tightened his grip on Gaara, "it was Gaara-kun's choice to leave that place in the first place. If they bring him back against his will, I will not go down without a fight. I want him to be happy," he said, courage pouring out of him like a river, "If he's not happy, then I won't be. I love him."

**XxGaaraloverxX  
**He felt Lee give him a saddened look, as he was pulled into a side-hug. His sobbing grew slightly louder as he felt the taller male try and comfort him. This only made him cry worse, as he clenched onto Lee's shirt, attached to his chest. He didn't want to leave; he didn't want Lee to get hurt. Now instead of staining the shirt of Lee's arm, now Gaara was staining his chest with his tears.

Half of his face was shown from him trying to hide into Lee's embrace. Teary, sparkly, aquatic eyes glanced up at the three who stood before them in accusation, as Lee introduced the prince. His body jerked in little spasms as he sobbed softly. He didn't want to go. It was so unfair.

Gaara curled into Lee closer, when he felt that judging gaze look over him from Neji. He felt exposed and discovered, waiting for the chance for him to say "I'm turning him in" and making a dash for it. Although, as Neji spoke to Lee, he couldn't help but to scrunch his face back into the protecting arms of his newfound lover. The thought of "Lee would protect me… Lee would protect me…" Kept buzzing through his mind, as he held onto Lee tighter, almost to the point where Lee's shirt would rip.

He felt like dying after Neji spoke to his Lee like that. Would Lee he reconsider and turn him in? He knew that it was probably for the best for Lee's sake. Then the taller male wouldn't be accused of the crime and everyone would be safe, but at what cost?

Opposite to his thought, Lee spoke out against his friend. After that curt "I don't care" comment, Gaara paused and snapped his shining and glittering eyes up to see Lee's determined gaze looking right at Neji. His eyes widened in shock as the raven haired male spoke back to his friend, in defense of Gaara. The last three words making his heart skip a beat. He just exposed his love for the prince openly. Not only was this illegal, but it was probably the ultimate crime in the kingdom. Yet, Gaara didn't care. All he cared about was the fact that Lee did love him.

And here the prince was, weeping in his lovers arms, doing nothing to support Lee's saying. Perhaps his friends wouldn't believe him, Gaara had to do something.

With as much bravery that spilled out of Lee at this moment, and when they had their first kiss, Gaara leaned up onto his tippy-toes and latched his lips onto Lee's. Reaching a hand up to support Lee's head and death gripping one onto the older males shoulder. He had to tell the world that their love was real, and that he stood by Lee every step of the way. Gaara loved Lee just as much as he loved him.

He was sure that Lee's friends would be shocked and dismayed at the sight, but Lee was being so brave and bold, so the prince had to do the same. Also, it would be a good-bye kiss if he had to bolt for the door if they were to try and grab him to turn him in.

**JapanEmoGirl**  
Nejis eye twitched, and he raised his hand to speak again, opened his mouth to try and reason with his friend. But, he stopped when TenTen rested a hand on his shoulder, and Naruto giving him a 'don't you dare' look. The male brunette looked at both, and then looked back at the kissing couple. He had to admit; Neji couldn't deny and reject the fact that he could feel their love from where he was standing. It was strong, pure, like they couldn't care less about anyone, but each other in the whole world.

But, it was wrong. Sick, even. How could Lee love a man, the Prince no less? It was against the law, forbidden. Never was, and never will be allowed. But, Neji couldn't seem to bring himself to stop this. To stop them. He just...

He sighed, after much thought, "Alright," Neji said. Lee pulled away from a now loving staring contest with Gaara, looking desperately at his friend, "I won't do anything to stop this. But, if you do get found out, mention nothing of me, or TenTen."

Lee grinned a large grin, and dashed towards Neji, hugging him tightly, "Oh! Thank you, thank you!" He said, happily.

**XxGaaraloverxX  
**Gaara could easily feel the angry Neji behind them, as their lips locked. Yet, he didn't care a single bit. All that mattered now as him and Lee. Perhaps this will be his last good-bye he will give to his new love before him his charted off to the castle once more. Nothing could break this moment between them.

Neji spoke out-loud with a sigh of defeat making Lee and Gaara separate with a soft crackle of their lips, as if they desperately wished to be back together again. The redhead prince looked back at Neji with fearful eyes, still stained with glittering tears. He was just about to make his grand escape, if Lee's friend claimed to send him back.

In surprise, and in a quick turn-around, Neji decided to spare their love, just as long as they are not mentioned if he is caught. Gaara would definitely agree with his terms. The less of a danger to others as possible the better.

Lee slipped out of his grasp and ran at his friend in a friendly and grateful hug. Gaara couldn't contain the small smile that graced his lips. He wouldn't have to run after all. With a slow and proud stride, Gaara made his way over to Neji, stopping in front of him after Lee had his fair share of gratitude.

"Neji-san… Thank you so much for this…" the prince said as he bowed lowly in gratitude. He was so grateful that this would be kept a secret. This man seemed to see right through him, and he found him out right from the start. "I can promise you and your family will be safe and kept anonymous if I am caught." Bright bluish eyes sparkled up at the long, brown haired male in the room, showing just how happy he was at this moment. His Lee was safe.

**JapanEmoGirl**  
Neji looked over at Gaara when Lee let go of the deathly hug. He gave a small, slight smile to show he wasn't a threat, "You're welcome, I guess..."

Naruto gave a loud, annoying laugh, "Now that that's over with," he blurted, "what we're you guys doing before we came. And why was redhead in the cabinet?" He warped an arm around Gaaras shoulders, and leaned on him. Naruto gave a sly smile, and wiggled his eyebrow.

TenTen tried to cover her smile, giggling a little. Neji had a look of shock over his face, then quickly got over it and shook his head. Lee felt his heart quicken, "N-Naruto!" He yelped, "We n-never did anything like that!" He grabbed Naruto, and dragged him in the living room, throwing him on the couch. He closed his eyes and crossed his arms, trying to calm down, "He was in the cabinet because we thought you were the guards. He needed to hide."

**XxGaaraloverxX  
**The prince's attention was captured by the obnoxious laughter from Naruto, as he turned his bright aquatic gaze to the blonde. Quickly, he wiped his eyes free from any straggling tears that were still left. There was no need to cry any longer. Along with that, Naruto's laughter made his mood take a generous swing. He felt so much better. Even though, Gaara still felt a bit of embarrassment that now some of his people know his secret. The Prince of Suna was a homosexual. He has fallen in love with another man; worse off to the royal family, a citizen of Konoha. If only his father knew…

The blonde-headed male easily made his way over to the prince and shocked him a bit to find his arm wrapped casually over the redheads shoulder. Gaara pivoted on his feet a bit, as his balance had extra weight to carry, since Naruto was leaning on him. Now that he was closer up, Gaara took note of the fact that the blonde was a bit taller than he was. Not as tall as Lee, but a good couple of inches at least.

The look that Naruto gave put a stunning blush on the prince's cheeks. That suggestive look made him only imagine what the blonde was thinking, when he came into Lee's home to find a pretending Lee 'cleaning' and the Prince of Suna hiding inside of a cabinet. He must have thought that they were doing something "sinful." Which only made Gaara think of all the possibilities, making him turn redder than before, even though they did nothing of the sort.

What made it worse, was when the woman in the room began to giggle at him, as if fangirl-ing over the possibility that the prince and Lee were engaged in some 'activities' before they came in. To add to the fact, Neji had a face similar to pure shock only to shake it away after a few moments. This made the redhead's gaze travel to the floor, as his face continued to get redder by the second; his confidence dwindling with Lee in the room. It made him think about the ways he could drag Lee into bed. Would he be a beast in the sheets? Or a gentle lover?

To his luck, Lee pulled the blonde off of the embarrassed redhead, and dragged him into the living room and onto the couch as punishment, giving him a stern talking too. That Naruto was a real bold man. If only he had met him sooner, they would have been great friends as young kids. Gaara already liked Naruto as a friend, even if he bickers at the prince about his looks of beauty, and his teasing.

To back Lee's statement up, Gaara entered the room and stood next to Lee. "Th-That is correct, Naruto-san. W-We were s-simply looking at old memories, past." He did try not to mention the first kiss that he and Lee had in the kitchen earlier that day that would only make the blonde boy even bolder and tease poor Lee and the prince even more. Gaara didn't mind the teasing much, though. He, actually, kind of liked it. It made him feel like he fit in; being a part of something, and that hyperactive blonde would always find some way to make him blush.

**JapanEmoGirl**  
Naruto tried to cover his laugher, "Then what was he doing in the cabinet? And Lee looking like he was cleaning? Some kind of kinky game, hmm~?"

Lee tapped his fingers on his thigh, and stared angrily at the blonde. His face redden and his mind started to cloud a little. He couldn't help Naruto's words getting to him, it made him really wonder what Gaara would look like, or do, in bed. Would he be quiet and blush a lot, or would he be loud and demanding. Would he let Lee be in control, or would he take control? Lee tried not to imagine Gaara in bed, naked. Sweating, his face all red. Breathing hard and begging for more, "Lee..." he'll say "Lee please, I want it. So bad."

Lee immediately shook the thought from his head. That thought is a serious sin, he shouldn't be thinking about that. Especially right now, "Naruto," he sighed once he calmed down, "look, we thought you were the guard, and Gaara hid in the cabinet because he didn't want to be found. I had to act like I was doing something, since it took so long."

Neji and TenTen walked into the room, "Why don't you want to be caught? Do you not like the castle life, Prince?" Neji asked Gaara.

**XxGaaraloverxX  
**Gaara decided to somewhat ignore the blonds teasing for a moment to take a glance at Lee to see his reaction. He was just as red in the face as the prince was. Was Lee thinking of the same thing as Gaara was at the moment? It was hard to ignore the teasing that Naruto brought upon the young prince and the farmer boy. The fact that Lee even though of Gaara as being sexy in the slightest made his heart flutter. The blonde was bringing out the sexy-sinful side of their relationship, and it only made Gaara's mind wonder further into thought of them in bed together.

The redhead's attention was then grasped by Neji and his wife walking into the room with a serious question. He wouldn't doubt why they wanted to know. Why would anyone want to give up a luxurious lifestyle of lying back and relaxing? A life of respect and royalty, having anything one desires. Although, they had no idea what happens behind closed doors in the castle.

"I know most of you would be shocked as to why I even thought of running away, letting alone the fact that I actually did. Wealth isn't all it is cracked up to be. All I ever wanted was freedom. My citizens, you all, get to have that; I do not, while trapped in that prison. I was forced to marry someone that I had no feelings for, and I was never allowed out of the castle grounds. If only you could imagine how prison would be like. Think about that, except replace the people in it with money instead. A person can't defeat their own loneliness. Growing up, I had no friends. If it wasn't for my siblings, I was sure to go mad. Throughout the years I have had to study, train, and dedicate my life to strictly running this country. I never had any time to be, simply, normal. To be treated normal. I have envied you, my people, about your freedom. You get to marry whom you may. You are able to leave your home whenever you please. And you get to have the comfort of other people as friends." He preached to Neji, mostly to everyone in the room. He had to take speech classes, so he knew to make a tolerable speech. "I am unsure if you will understand completely… But I only wish to be like you all. And if not, then I wish to become king and treat all of my people with the respect they deserve. But I wish to do so with the one I love by my side."

**JapanEmoGirl**  
Lee rested a hand on Gaara shoulder as he spoke. Everyone else stared at the redhead, waiting his finish, and Neji's response. Neji looked baffled at Gaara's reason. He wished to be like them? Why, if Neji didn't know better, he would have been seriously angry with the Prince, "Do you have any idea what these people do? How many die each day because of the king's men? How many pray, and hope to see any other day. It wasn't till just before Lee left that he would come and stay with Naruto, or my family at nights, because it was too cold, and wet here. You should have seen everything before it got fixed up,"

Neji closed his eyes, thought for a while, then reopened them, "I know it's not your fault. I shouldn't blame you, and I don't. But, how could you wish to be like us, when we, ourselves, do not want to be us? What some of these people would give for a small speck of food will go far beyond the line. There are some people here who would even give their own mother for a single coin. There are orphans on the street; wanting nothing more than to have someone to hold them and tell them it will be alright-"

"Neji," Ten-Ten softly said, "that's enough. Can't you see that you're scaring the boy? He wants to be free."

"We don't have freedom!" Neji turned to Ten-Ten, "Freedom has no meaning here. If we did have such a thing, more people would be happy," he stared at the ground, "the people that have been lost to society because of this, so called, 'freedom'... Lee and Naruto's parents. Ten-Ten's mother... My own father. The people precious to us has been taken because of the way we have to live."

"Neji!" Ten-Ten raised her voice. Neji took a look at his pregnant wife, and sighed, signaling he was done. He wanted to say so much more, though.

**XxGaaraloverxX  
**As Neji spoke, the prince's eyes widened in shock and sadness. He kept his mouth shut, as he listened into the others response. It broke his heart that Neji seemed to be upset at his choice to disappear from the life of royalty and into the simple life of an everyday citizen, was a bad one. He understood how his poorer people were struggling in the economy that the king has set out. Taxes were high, and times for the peasant were a terrible one.

Gaara felt like a child being scolded, as he raised a hand to grip at his heart, clenching at the cloth. He closed his glittering aquatic eyes in empathy and sadness for what Neji said. It was terrible that some people had to live like that. It was horrible that people died everyday thanks to the king's rule. He respected his people so much, and he desired to be just like them, allowing himself to take in the hardships that came with it. To him, money didn't matter. It was love, and friendship that was everything to the prince.

When Neji's wife spoke up for the first time, it made his heart sink at the fact that she told. Neji was frightening him a bit, and it brought a great deal of sadness along with it. The prince felt tears pool in his eyes, too afraid to look up into those light, almost white, eyes. He was hoping that his people would understand, but it seems that they didn't. Neji was still hooked onto the fact that the royal family was nothing more than a bunch of money and power hungry tyrants that wanted nothing more than to take control of others.

Gaara jumped a bit in shock at the woman's outbursts, making some of the unshed tears spill from his defense, as they rolled down his porcelain cheeks. "I-I'm sorry… P-Please excuse me for a moment…" He had to think this through, Neji was right, but he still refused to go back to that castle. He just wished that Neji was a little less mean about it.

With a slow stride, the sad-little prince excused himself from the room with a short bow, and made his way upstairs to Lee's room. He knew it wasn't his house, but he would like to be alone now. He didn't lock the doors, only because this was Lee's home, and it would have been rude. The redhead made his way to the bed, and sad himself down on it, with a dreadful sigh. His shoulders slumped, as he raised a hand to wipe the tears away from his eyes. He felt like such a crybaby, but he couldn't help it. He loved his people and hearing such a horrid tale made him very upset.


	8. Chapter 8

**JapanEmoGirl  
**Lee stared after Gaara for awhile. His heart broke at the sight of seeing the one he loved cry such sad tears. He flipped his gaze to Neji in a deathly glare when he heard the door shut, "Neji..." Lee breathed out angrily, "what have you done...?"

Neji kept staring at the ground, as if it was the most interesting thing in the world, "He needed to know the truth, Lee," his eyes looked up at the raven haired male, "someone had to tell him. It's better to tell him now then later."

Lee's knuckles turned white as his fists trembled beside him. He wanted to punch Neji, to tell him he was wrong. That Gaara wasn't the reason, and wasn't the type to be so rude towards. That Neji went too far, and should have stopped. Naruto noticed this, and spoke up, "Neji, man, you didn't have to be so harsh. Yeah, you're right, but it's not redhead's fault-"

"Naruto, I swear to all that is holy, that if he didn't know the truth, then he would have been even in a worse state. What if the next person that got sick was someone he already met? Like you, or Lee, or Hinata? He would be devastated."

Naruto stood up, his face red, "Don't you dare bring Hinata into this."

"Get out," Lee finally decided to break the fight, "all of you, get out. Now."

One look at Lee, and they were out. Fast. Lee had a blood thirst in his eyes, like he was ready to kill at any moment. Seeing Gaara cry made something snap, and all he wanted to do was cheer him up. To hold him, and tell him that Neji was just a jerk. That not all the villagers were like that. Quickly, once they left, Lee made his way up the stairs, and into his room, seeing Gaara on the bed. He sat next to him, the look of sympathy covered his face, "Gaara-kun..." he whispered out.

**XxGaaraloverxX  
**The saddened prince glanced next to him, where Lee was sitting. He felt so powerless at that moment. Raised as a prince, he was trained to be noble and all-powerful. At that moment, however, he has never felt so deprived of everything that he has trained for. He hated for Lee to see him in such a state. It only made him feel worse.

Comfort was what he wanted, but he was unsure if it would help the situation. "I-I'm sorry, L-Lee-kun…" He felt like he has somewhat offended Lee's guest, and was afraid that Lee was upset at him for doing so to his friends. He tried his best to be nice and obliged Lee's friends and his people that he respects to no end. Perhaps it was something that the prince has said to make Neji speak out in such a rant, to make him that upset to speak in such a vulgar way towards the prince of Suna. He didn't want to involve his stature into the picture, but he was taught to treat others the way you want to be treated, he did just that. It really seemed like his people didn't like him in the slightest.

"I-I n-never meant t-to… *sniff* o-offend your friends…" The prince said as his head sunk further down, afraid of the response he will get. Was Lee mad at him as well? "P-Perhaps I-I should… sh-should go back to castle… I am sorry that I brought you into this mess…" As much as he hated it, he might have to go back to the castle. It was getting dangerous, and Lee's safety was getting involved. As much as he loved the man that sat next to him, he just hoped that Lee wouldn't try and give him up so easily. Gaara has told Lee how much he absolutely despised that horrible palace. Right now, he could use some of Naruto's encouragement. The blonde always brought a smile on his face, even in the most awkward or embarrassing moods.

Would Lee give him up? Or would he cling onto the prince and never let him go? The smaller redhead wished for the latter, but he knew that if Lee wanted, he could turn the prince in for a ransom of gold. Gaara wouldn't mind it too much… He would be devastated, but he knew that with that amount of money, Lee wouldn't grow hungry or cold at nights. He would be safe.

**JapanEmoGirl**  
Lee gave Gaara a stern look. He thought he offended Neji? That's impossible, he didn't do anything! It was Neji's fault! But, the way he talked to Gaara, Lee guessed he would feel the same as Gaara if that were to happen to him. Of course, he already feels terrible. His crying, sniffling lover next to him. He didn't want to see this. He didn't want to see the love of his life hacking, sneezing, tear stained face. Ever. He wanted Gaara to be happy. With him. Forever.

Then, the other words hit his ears. He should... leave? No. No! Lee won't let him, not unless Gaara told him that he wanted to! Lee would never give up Gaara so easily. He's finally found someone in his life; he doesn't want to lose them so suddenly, so fast. He doesn't want Gaara to ever leave. Never ever. He wanted to spend the rest of his life with him. To live in a nice house with him, kiss and hug him all day. Marry him, maybe adopted an orphan, if he wanted. He wanted to be with Gaara. He didn't want to let him go. Not now. Not ever.

Lee wrapped an arm around Gaara, pulling him close and gently rubbing his back in a circular motion, "Do you know why Neji has such a terrible grudge with the castle?" Lee started in a hushed whisper, "When he was very young, about seven or so, his father's life was taken by a guard. The Kings personal guard. The King ordered death upon him, because he tried to overrule the kingdom. He wanted to become King. His majesty was so angry at his disobeying follower, that he displayed his dead body in town square for all to see for a week. A reminder of what could happen if you go against the rules," Lee shivered at the memory, "you could imagine how traumatized Neji was... to see his dead father be tied to a pole. Every day for a week. Ever since then, he's hated the Kingdom. The rules, the why we are living... please don't think he was being rude to you. Don't take it personal. He doesn't know how different you are. I promise, for the bottom of my heart, that he is one of the small few that will hate just because of what family you live it. He doesn't know your story very well, and will take some time to let it sink in. But, I promise that soon, he will start being nice, and he will apologize."

**XxGaaraloverxX  
**That touch. That special and longed for touch from the taller male was all he needed at this moment. He yearned for it, and wanted to hold it close to his heart forever. Lee held him close and comforted him by rubbing his back slowly and smoothly. It felt good, making his body tingle a bit from the soft massage. It felt so good to be in the arms of the man that he confessed his love for. He never wanted to let this feeling go. The prince grasped onto it, tightly. Gripping Lee's shirt and pressing himself closer to the warmth that the older male provided and gave out needlessly. It would kill him if he were separated from what gave him happiness. All these years, and now he has finally found love. If it was taken from him now, he would probably kill himself.

If he was brought back to that castle once more, without his love by his side, he would leap from his bedroom window, and greet death with a warm welcome. He never wanted to leave Lee, but he didn't want his people to suffer as well. Yet, this grip that Lee holds him in. It seems as though he is clenching onto him, like a priceless treasure. Gentle, but protective, awaiting for the next thief to come to try and steal it away from him. This only made him push closer to the other man, practically sitting in his lap. He never wanted to let go.

Tucking his head neatly under Lee's neck he listened silently, as the raven-haired male told the tale of Neji's past, and his grudge against the kingdom. He now understood why he was so angry with him beforehand. He seemed to be exhibiting his anger out on the ears of royalty, since he could never do such a thing to the king itself, do it on the next best thing, the prince of Suna. It was terrible what the kings of Konoha and Suna have done, and it was unacceptable.

Warm, wet tears dripped onto Lee's cooled neck as he stayed silent. What was there to say? He was a part of royalty, so part of it was his fault, even though he had no part of it. It was like a sin that was carried down from father to son. If his father did it, then the son shall take the blame. He is the castle. He is the prince of Suna, and anything that happens behind those walls is partially his responsibility. There was no need for Neji's apology; it was the prince that needed to apologize to him for his families wrongdoings. "I-I'm sorry… I-I had no idea. It was wrong of the King do so such a terrible crime." He said softly, still attached onto the older male, wishing to never let go. This moment of contact was sacred and precious. As if, it would be the last time he would ever hold Lee in his grasp.

Those hands that rubbed at his back soothed him, though. Making him a bit drowsy, as he rested his whole body against the cushion known as Lee. The prince resituated himself for comfort and sat himself fully into Lee's lap; he just hoped that Lee wouldn't mind it too much if he accidentally fell asleep. The older male was just so comfortable. He was warm, caring and so kind to him. It made all of his troubles seem to drift away.

**JapanEmoGirl**  
Lee nodded to the young Prince, and buried his face in Gaara's hair. He smelled like strawberries. It was a nice smell. He could smell it all day. Lee's arms tighten around the redhead, and he gladly accepted his into his lap. It was comfortable. He could sleep with Gaara in his arms so easily. Lee doesn't recall ever having this much comfort, this much love in his life, other than this moment. This one, innocent moment with Gaara.

Lee pulled away a little. He gently touched Gaara's chin with his thumb and index finger, softly forcing him to look up. Lee looked Gaara in the eyes, and laid a soft, simple kiss on his lips. The moment was just too hard to resist, "Gaara-kun," Lee barely said over a whisper. He rested his forehead on Gaara's, and closed his eyes in a relaxed feeling, "I never want you to leave. Let's run away, just you and me. Tomorrow, if you want. I want to be with you forever. Not a day without you. We can run, and not look back. Leave everything here, and start a new life. We can even get your horse for the stables and ride him away from here."

**XxGaaraloverxX  
**That soft, precious feeling of love drifted through his racing heart, when those arms held him tighter. He loved the feeling of his Lee holding him tighter. It was clear to him that the love they felt for each other was stronger than anything that he has ever felt before. This all felt so right, no matter how badly the king considered it wrong. Love couldn't be wrong, he had to listen to his heart, and it was telling him to accept this man with open arms, and that is exactly what he did.

Somewhat sleepy, aquatic eyes lidded open when he felt a calloused hand reach up to touch his chin, pulling him to see Lee's face and those coal eyes he loves so much. What made it better was the soft, tender kiss that pressed upon his lips. It made his whole body shutter with a sharp and fluttering feeling of love that struck his heart. Who would have guessed that a single kiss could take the princes breath away?

When he separated, Gaara's eyes were glazed with love and affection, as he focused on those delicious lips that stunned him every time his own touched it. It was Lee's voice that seemed to bring him out of his daze and focus his attention to those deep abyss colored eyes, as his forehead was pressed against Lee's. Even through his sleepy gaze, his eyes widened with shock at what Lee claimed. "B-But Lee, wh-what about your house? Wh-What about your friends?" He asked softly back, as if speaking too loudly would make them be discovered in the deathly silent house.

It warmed his heart that Lee loved him enough to sacrifice his current life for the prince's happiness, but what about Lee? What his love proclaimed sounded too good to be true, and it seemed so easy to accomplish. Gaara managed to run away from his life, and now he is able to do it again. Only this time, he will be running in hand with Lee by his side. It was a wonderful dream. They could run away together, find a home outside of the kingdom of Konoha and Suna and find a nice farm and a plot of land in the Land of mist, or any other place but here. They would work hard and raise a family together, while growing old and living their happily ever after, together. Gaara's dream, a reality.

Or, he could start fresh, and begin to rise with a kingdom of his own. Lee and Gaara kings of their own domain. Lee could have his family and friends there, and they could rule in peace. They would allow simple townsfolk to come by and fallow in Gaara and Lee's kingdom. He knew that no murders and harsh penalties would be portrayed in the young princes dream palace. Gaara has already told Lee about his dream to rule over a castle and only exhibit peace and tranquility with a thriving economy for his people.

And the thought of getting his horse back seemed like a dream come true. He loved his animal to pieces. Perhaps when night falls, he could sneak back to the stables and retrieve him. Although it would be difficult to move a thousand pound animal past those guards, but Shukaku was fast, and could out-race any of the cavalry that tried to chase after them. There was a good reason to all of that training it seems. He would have to go in the dead of night, and sneak out of the house without Lee's knowledge. He would hate to put him in danger, and if Gaara were to get caught, there would be no penalty. If Lee was with him, he would be executed.

"O-Oh, Lee… That sounds so wonderful. B-But… Where will we go? H-How will we get there?" This all seemed so dangerous, but the thrill of going with Lee made it all the more exciting and thrilling.

**JapanEmoGirl**  
Lee thought. He didn't think about where, or what about. He thought about when, and now, "We can just leave this house, whoever can find it can have it. And, my friends...? Gaara-kun, I love my friends to death, but I love you beyond death. If I can't be with you under the comfort of my own peers, then I don't have to be. All I need in life is you. You and me together." He smiled.

Living a life with Gaara would be wonderful. He could imagine what it would be like. He and Gaara could live in a house Lee built. Lee would continue teaching Gaara to cook, and clean. Him slowly getting the hang of it. Lee would get a job, somewhere, and soon earn enough money for a ring he made himself. He would slip that ring on his finger, and they will be tied together, officially. They'd adopted a young child, who they'll love and care for. They'll all be a happy family. The thought made Lee want to smile widely, giggle. He couldn't wait until that happen. To run with Gaara and start a new life together.

Lee was pulled out of his thoughts when he suddenly remembers that the redhead asked another question, "We'll go far away. Where no one can find us. We'll live a peaceful life; live in a nice kingdom, if we can find one, far from Suna, and Konoha. We can start over in our lives," Lee thought about the last question, "there's a cellar in my backyard, an old wagon in is it. I can take it out, and fix it up. We can get your horse, and tie him up to it, and be off..."

Lee then thought. What if Gaara doesn't want this? What if he doesn't want to leave the kingdom, and run away. Run away with Lee. The taller male began to grow panic, what if he was pressuring Gaara into this?! "T-That is, if you want to..."

**XxGaaraloverxX  
**Just listening to Lee preach on about their possible future together made his heart leap into his throat. Lee would give up his friends and his own home just to be with the prince? This brought a gentle array of happy tears pooling in those aquatic orbs. If Lee was willing to give up his life to help the prince escape from this kingdom once and for all, then he would do it. He stayed silent, but a smile was slowly forming on those soft peachy colored lips of his, the more Lee talked.

This would be a perfect plan. Gaara could get Shukaku and his days of jumping and agility training would be over and he would retire into a life of farm work and pulling wagons for a living. He knows that his horse would love to assist in the fields and help with the plow work. This dream continued to entice the young prince, especially when Lee said that he had an old wagon in his property. With the gold that Gaara had, he would give that to Lee and he could fix it up nicely and make it able to carry them and their belongings. This sounded like a "dream come true."

Then Lee asked a very silly question that made Gaara look at him as if he was mad, imaginary eyebrows furrowed in confusion and a soft smile on his lips. "Of course!" The prince yelped out loud, his excitement bursting at the seams. "Yes! Yes, I would love to go with you Lee!" He claimed as he lunged forwards, throwing Lee on his back, and giving him a kiss to remember. This kiss was their promise seal. Their contract to keep. They would run away together and live a life of peace, or die trying.

This kiss was longer than the rest combine, and Gaara made sure to pin the older male down, as his hands gripped the sides of Lee's head so he couldn't escape the kiss. He hoped that he didn't shock Lee too much with his excitement. He just couldn't contain it. He would love to leave, first thing tomorrow morning, or the moment Lee fixes the wagon, and Gaara retrieves his horse. This was his dream, and he wanted to reach it so badly.

**JapanEmoGirl**  
The moment Gaara's clarification reached Lees ears, a huge smile slapped on his face. He was immediately knocked over by a forceful kiss, not that he minded. He kissed back, making sure to put as much passion and promising into the kiss as he could. Lee wrapped his arms around Gaara's waist, also trapping him. No way was he letting go now.

He'll start on the wagon first thing tomorrow. He'll go to town, get a few parts and boards, then dig up the old thing and get to work. Once he's done, he will help Gaara get the horse. Everything seemed so easy, and so reachable. He had to try. And try hard, he will. If he has to, he'll steal Gaara, if they are caught. He will not die, not when he made such a promise to his love, and himself. He will fight for this love story, for this dream. Because, Gaara is his dream.

Running out of air, Lee pulled as far back as he could, gasping for air. He smiled lovingly, and flipped Gaara on his side, so they were both snuggled up against each other. Protective arms tightly wrapped around Gaara, "I love you, Gaara-kun." He sighed out happily.

**XxGaaraloverxX  
**The moment Lee pulled back, he heard a sharp gasp fill the silent air around them. It seems as if Gaara kept the kiss a little bit too long, depriving precious oxygen from his Lee. And not to mention, the prince himself; as soon as Lee pulled back to breath, he also took a deep breath in, almost forgetting to breathe for a moment.

The prince panted a bit, trying to catch his breath back, it never seize to amaze him how much this man stole his breath with just a kiss. A beautiful smile adorned the happy prince's face, as he was tightly grasped and moved to the side so they could snuggle against one another.

It was amazing. Just a few minutes ago, he was crying out of sadness. Now he is so happy that he is crying. Gaara wrapped his arms around strong shoulders; and half-way wrapped a leg around Lee's waist. "I love you, too, Lee-kun~! So very, very much… You have made my life worth something. You have made me so happy~!" He felt so childish at that moment, but he couldn't help but to say the truth. Lee did make him happy. He has never felt so alive.

His head once again, tucked underneath Lee's chin. He seemed to fit their perfectly, like it was meant for him to snuggle up against the taller male. God, how he loved it. Starting tomorrow, he will begin his life, anew. There will be hardships, but he knows that with Lee by his side, anything is possible.

**JapanEmoGirl**  
The day grew young, and soon Lee fell asleep with his precious Prince in his arms. He smiled in his sleep when he realized that he was having a dream. Again, there was a farmer. The farmer and the Princess. They were together, where the dream left off the other night, holding hands and smiling at one another. The farmer built a house, with a large yard, and a nice little patio. The Princess wanted a pond, so he made that, too. A beautiful pond, that soon grew leafs and fishes.

Two children were running around the field, one boy, and one girl. Playing tag, and tackle each other to the ground. The farmer, who just got home from work, walked up to the house. The children raced to him to see who got the first hug. The Princess would walk out on the patio, apron on and a big, wooden spoon in one hand. She called them all to dinner, and they all ate in peace, talking about their day, and laughing.

That's what Lee wants, he realized in his sleep. A small, happy, healthy family. With Gaara. Forever with Gaara. Till the end of time, and so on.

Lee awoke in the middle of the night from the wonderful dream. He blinked, disappointment washed over him. He wanted to see what happened next. The room was dark, but he could see a little from the burning out candle on his nightstand. He carefully moved his head towards Gaara, seeing the sleeping form all snuggled like a rabbit hibernating. Lee almost chuckled at the sight, but decided not to in fear he might wake him. He simply placed a soft, small kiss on Gaara's forehead, and closed his eyes to go back asleep. Tomorrow was a big day, you know.

**XxGaaraloverxX  
**The sleeping prince gently awoke from his slumber when Lee gave a soft peck on his forehead. Although, he kept still and silent, eyes closed. He waited for his love to fall back asleep, before slowly opening his eyes. It was dark out, and he didn't even realize that he had even fallen asleep in the first place. It wasn't Lee's fault for waking him; Gaara was a light sleeper anyways. The prince smiled at Lee's form; he must have been dreaming of something wonderful. Perhaps a continuation of the dream that he had told Gaara before. He didn't wish to disturb him.

Slowly, and silently, Gaara managed to slip out of bed and sneak his way out of the room. First thing he did, was use the restroom. He was going to be doing a lot of running tonight, so having a full bladder was not such a good idea. Luckily, he was already fully dressed in his everyday cloak, and had everything all prepared to go.

Slowly, he made his way downstairs, and pulled open the back door. He hoped that he would make it back before sunrise, and before Lee awoke to find him missing. The last thing the prince wanted was for him to think that Gaara had left him and broke his promise. Gaara sealed it with that kiss, and he would never break it.

He had to go out alone. He had escaped from the castle multiple times, and is the only one who knows how to maneuver through the city alleys. Not only that, Shukaku doesn't like anyone else but Gaara, nor will he listen to anyone else. That horse would follow him into a battle field, even death.

With one look back into the home, the prince pulled his disguise up over his ruby red locks and closed the door, making a dash for the castle stables to free his horse. He has noticed through Lee's yard, he has a small stable. That would be a perfect place to put Shukaku until Lee is ready with the wagon. That was probably the same stable that Lotus stayed at before his death. The prince was positive that Lee had all of the supplies needed for caring a horse. The only thing that Gaara needed from the barn was Shukaku's riding tack.


	9. Chapter 9

**JapanEmoGirl  
**"How long has it been?" Temari asked. She was pacing in the stables, her hands trembling, and her eyes red from tears. She looked at Kankuro, then back out the window, wanting to see her little brother again.

Ever since Gaara's been gone, the security has been tight. Guards had doubled in the town, all looking for a familiar redhead with aquatic eyes. Temari was almost to the point where she wanted to double the coins. Then, maybe more people will be on to finding Gaara.

"It hasn't even been three days, sister," Kankuro groaned. He was sitting on a stool, trying to feed Shukaku some carrots. Someone needed to tend to the horse while Gaara was away, and, sadly, Kankuro was that someone, "he'll be back. Do not worry. He's been gone before."

"Not during the night!" Temari panicked, "He's never left during the night! What if he was kidnapped? That has to be it!" The blonde female started to cry again, "W-What if it's too late? Oh, our poor, little brother, taken from us by whoever!"

"Temari!" Kankuro stood up, and walked over to his sister. Wrapping an arm around her, he shushed her silently, "He's fine. I'm sure he is, they didn't put him through all that training for nothing. He's probably coming back right now."

Temari put her face into Kankuro's shoulder, sobbing and hacking, "I didn't get to tell him that I loved him. He was my brother! Your brother! Now he's gone for God knows how long..."

**XxGaaraloverxX  
**Gaara's dismay, the guards were even more populous than before. He had to constantly be in the shadows to keep from being seen from the cavalry that trotted the streets, not to mention the foot soldiers. This was getting bad, the prince new that he would have to leave with Lee sooner than expected if they were to avoid getting caught. Tension was high, as the guards marched in the streets. The worse thing was it was deserted out. No one was out at this time of night. This was going to be harder than he thought. His absence was starting to catch the attention of the castle, and they will only up the amps to try and get him back alive and safe.

The sneaky prince managed to dodge his way through the streets, jumping into multiple alleyways during moments where the guards back was turned. It took twice as long to get there than he had planned, but he had finally made it to the castle walls, where he knew separated him and the stables. If he could scale the wall, it would bring him right to the stables located on the other side, and hopefully without any problems. This side of the castle was less protected than the front gates, so if he was quick and quite, he should manage to make it across.

The wall was around twelve feet tall, perhaps taller, as he began to climb it. He knew of a smaller fence-line located near the end of the paddock that was around seven feet tall. Behind that fence was a dense forest, he knew that if he managed to slip in there, they would never find him. No other horse had the skills that his had to maneuver through tough terrain. There was a reason why his horse was number one when it came to cross country courses. Along with that, Shukaku was the only one to ever clear something along the lines of seven whole feet. There was no way he could be caught, unless he fell off then he was a goner.

With a grunt, he managed to reach the top of the tall wall, and gulped as he looked down from the height. He didn't realize he was scared of heights until he was faced with this one. He slowly made his way down the wall, but as he was around half-way down, his feet slipped and he fell.

The prince landed with a whoosh of air escaping his lungs, as he was knocked on his back. He laid there just trying to catch his breath, rolling over on his stomach, and managing to stand after a few minutes. Inside of the castle walls were not as guarded, thankfully, probably because most of them were patrolling the streets in search of him.

Quickly, and quietly, he ran across the polo pasture and towards the stables where he knew his horse was at, waiting for its master to return. He didn't barge in, only because he saw a light from the barn, and knew that someone was in there. It was normal, since there was thieves out there who would love to steal a prized animal and sell it for a profit. He didn't doubt that there was at least a few people patrolling the stables.

He pressed his back to the wooden wall, and slowly peeked his head in to see if it was clear, making sure that they wouldn't notice him there. What shocked the young prince was seeing his siblings there. Shouldn't they be inside, asleep? It seems not, since his older sister was weeping in Kankuro's arms. Why was she so upset? Was it because of his disappearance? He decided to keep hidden, and await for them to leave. If they didn't, he could at least run up to them and give them a quick farewell, before grabbing Shukaku and dashing off. Although he was skeptical to go ahead and try and sneak his horse out, since they were right in front of his stall. It would be impossible to sneak him out unnoticed.

**JapanEmoGirl**  
"Temari, look at me," Kankuro grabbed his sisters arms, and forced her to look at him. He wiped the blonde's tears, and pushed his now wet bangs from her eyes, "sister, he'll come back. If he was taken, he'll find away. But... have it ever occurred to you that he might of... ran away?"

Temari grew angry at nothing, and pushed Kankuro away. She huffed and her eyebrows formed together, "What are you talking about? Why would Gaara run away?! He wasn't unhappy in the slightest, every time you and I saw him, he had the same expression. Surely, if something was wrong, he'd tell one of us!" The female started to pace again, missing Gaara at the door each time she looked towards it.

**XxGaaraloverxX  
**Listening to his older sisters crying made the poor redhead think a bit about his decision to run off. He had no idea that his siblings would be this upset about his disappearance. He thought that they wouldn't care, and simply go on with their duties. Besides, if he were out of the picture, then a spot could open up for either one of them to fill in for the throne. The prince didn't like the fact that he was chosen to become the prince and take over the castle. His older sister was even able to marry whom she wanted. It wasn't fair.

If only Kankuro knew how right he was. No matter how badly his sister denied it, he knew that deep down he has secretly wished to run free from these castle walls. Although, he never told anyone, due to the fact that they could rat him out, or to dim the heartache. He wished that he wasn't so special, and that he could be free. The prince has made a promise, and he plans to keep it.

Slowly, Gaara slid down the wall to sit down on the floor resting an elbow on his knee. He hated to hear his family so upset about him being gone. He was starting to think about actually going in there to say a final good-bye to his siblings before taking his horse and leaving. What would happen, though? Would Kankuro sound the alarm and guards would come around every corner to try and capture him? Or would his siblings accept the fact that their younger brother had a dream to be away from the castle walls, and live outside of royalty?

**JapanEmoGirl**  
Kankuro sighed at his sister, and continued trying to calm her down, "Temari, do you remember when you were chosen to be ruler? You didn't like it, did you? You had more bravery to stand up to father that you didn't want it. He told you that he'd accept your denial. Obviously, I wasn't fit to be King, that's where Gaara came in."

"Kankuro, where are you going with this?" Temari asked, done with his rambling and such.

"Well, you being next in line was painful, was it not? You didn't like it. I remember that you told me, once in the past, that you wanted to run away... what if Gaara did the same? But, he didn't want to tell us in fear?"

Temari huffed, and grumbled, crossing her arms, "Why would he be afraid? What would he be afraid of?"

This got Kankuro thinking for awhile. He gently rested his hand on his chin. His eyes lit up when he finally came to a conclusion, "Us," he said, "that we'd be angry with him for not doing what he is supposed to. He doesn't know that you were originally supposed to be Queen, so of course he would be scared to face his siblings with the truth."

Temari wanted to argue. She wanted to tell Kankuro that he was wrong, that Gaara would have told them. Would have told her. But, what he said made perfect sense. Of course! She fell to the ground, and huffed once more, "I hate when your right," she said quietly, "but he shouldn't be afraid. I- we, would never be angry with him."

**XxGaaraloverxX  
**Saddened aquatic eyes closed when Kankuro confirmed Gaara's silent message. He was afraid. He was afraid of the anger towards him, about abandoning the throne to be king. It was just easier to run away. Even before the prince was old enough to understand the responsibilities, his own sister even wanted to run away just like he did. Gaara was never one to back-talk, so he simply accepted his position as prince, and cried behind closed doors. He hated all of the responsibilities and everything to become a king. It seems that his siblings understood his scenario.

With a dreadful sigh, he stood up and patted his clothes of dirt. He made sure that his hood was still on, as he took a deep breath. He only hoped that his siblings would be reasonable and allow him to make his escape. It will be hard for them to see their brother run off into the distance, but he had a dream that he promised, and it cannot be broken.

With a turn of his heel, he walked towards the middle of the entryway to the stables, which was wide open. He knew that if his siblings saw him, they would only see a silhouette, perhaps a small bit of color from the lantern that they had near them.

Shukaku's ears perked up as he jerked his head up high from his stall. Gaara knew that his horse knew who was standing there. His master had returned. It brought a smile on his face to see his beloved animal clearly excited after sensing and smelling the scent of its owner again. With a high-pitched neigh, Shukaku stomped the ground with a shoed hoof, and bobbed his head. If his siblings couldn't see him, they would surely notice Shukaku's abnormal behavior and look to where the animal was looking.

**JapanEmoGirl**  
"Shukaku, is something wrong?" Temari asked the animal, standing up again to calm him. She placed a hand on his neck, and shushed him, "are you hungry?" She asked a second question, reaching for the carrots again.

She was stopped when Kankuro tapped her shoulder. She looked at him, questionable, only to see he was not looking at her, but in front of him. She followed his gaze, and saw what he saw. A small, shinning light. It looks like a lantern. Someone's here, but the guards don't use them, and everyone is asleep. Temari raised an eyebrow in confusion, squinting her eyes to see better. Only to widen her eyes when she saw a figure holding it.

Kankuro seemed to do the same. He stepped forward, ready for attack, and to defend if necessary, "Who goes there?" He shouted at the figure, a stern, brave look in his eye.

**XxGaaraloverxX  
**With a slow stride, the hidden prince walked towards the two, who were frightened. The moment he started moving, he could see Shukaku try his hardest to reach down to lip, and bite at the metal hatch that holds the door to his stall closed. Gaara could hear him tap dance in his stall, practically cheering for joy that he gets to see his master after nearly two days of him missing.

Gaara stopped a few yards away from them, and lifted his gaze to look at his brother. With slow movements, he reached up and gripped at his hood, not pulling it down yet. "It is I, nii-chan…" With a flick of his wrist, he pulled his hood down, revealing those sapphire eyes, and unforgettable red hair, that now had golden highlights from the lantern. "Prince of Suna, Gaara-sama."

As he revealed himself, he couldn't help that pang of relief of seeing his brother and sister once more before he would dash off forever into the night. It was nice to at least say good-bye.

**JapanEmoGirl**  
Temari wasted no time in running over and hugging her brother. She nearly knocked him down, wrapping her arms around his neck tightly. Not wanting to let go for awhile, "Gaara," she began to sob again, "w-where were you? Y-You scared us, we thought you were kidnapped!"

Relief of seeing his brother again, Kankuro fast-walked over to his hugging siblings. He patted his young brothers head softly, a small smile on his face, "You did give us quite a scare. Shukaku barely ate anything when you left. We didn't want to lose two family members."

**XxGaaraloverxX**  
Before the prince managed to get another word out, he was suddenly tackled by his older sister. Soon after, his brother joined in the family reunion, patting him firmly on the back, they all huddled together. Even the stoic prince hugged his siblings, which was a rare sight. Rarely, did he show such emotion to his family, most of the time he would either nod their way, or barely noticed their existence.

All-in-all, it was nice to see them again. "Temari-chan… I am sorry for worrying you all with my absence." He proclaimed sadly. "It is nice to see you both again." The prince would love to stay and chat, but he had to hurry back before sunrise, he was unsure of the actual time, but it would take him a while to transport Shukaku back to Lee's farm unnoticed.

"Worry not my dear siblings. I was not kidnapped at all." He knew that he had to explain at least a little bit to his disappearance. "I have run away on my own free will to attain to a dream that I wish to achieve. I have made a promise to a very special person for my safe return, I cannot stay." He knew that if his siblings missed him this much, he might have thought twice about leaving the castle in the first place, but he had already made up his mind.

When his older brother mentioned his horse, a bit of worry struck his gaze at the thought of his precious animal not eating because he was depressed. With the tilt of his head, he looked over at his beloved animal, "Shukaku… Were you not eating because you missed me?" He asked the sweet creature, not expecting an answer. The prince walked over to the large Frisian, expecting his siblings to fallow in his footsteps. He has missed his family, and his horse. But he had to take only one of them with him.

Gaara raised a hand to pet his stallion on the muzzle, and he could feel Shukaku desperately sniff his hand now knowing for a fact that this was his master. He gently bobbed his head, as if agreeing to what Gaara had said, and whinnied happily. "I am sorry for the sudden appearance, but I must be getting on my way. I have returned for Shukaku, he will be coming with me." The prince said softly, as he opened the stall, and turned to face his siblings. He didn't need to lead the horse; he would simply fallow him over to the tacking post to be saddled. Although, he awaited for a response, not planning on leaving his siblings in the dust without a fair say in what he had just proclaimed.

**JapanEmoGirl  
**Temaris arms slowly slipped off of Gaara, a look of disbelief over her face. Kankuro matched her look, as both of their eyes followed their little brother to his horse. They watched him talk to Shukaku, and then talk to them. Temari was the first to snap out of the trance they were put under, and took a step towards Gaara, "Little brother," she said, softly, "where are you going? Who did you make a promise to?"

Kankuro also took a step at this point, "Do you mean you won't stay here? If it is because you do not want to be King, we can fix that. You don't have to, I could take over," his eyebrows went up, and a sad frown on his face told everyone that, even he, did not want his brother to leave without a good reason, "why are you leaving?"

The siblings knew they didn't spend much time with their brother, but they always have been worried about him. They have always wanted to help Gaara, in any way they could. But, now he was leaving without telling the reason why, other then he 'promised somebody special'. Somebody special? Who could that be? Temari and Kankuro wanted to know more on why Gaara was leaving.

**XxGaaraloverxX  
**It hurt to see his older sibling's reaction to his sudden leave. He already left once without a word, but this time he was leaving for good and wasn't coming back. "I-I… c-cannot say…" he knew that if he gave out Lee's identity, word could get out as his lover becoming a criminal. "I am sorry, sister dear. The chances of us meeting again will not happen after this moment. I plan to run far away from the kingdom." He told his sister. He hoped that she would understand, but it did hurt him to see them so upset.

Aquatic eyes looked over at his older brother. He was a strong man, but even now he could see that he is starting to break at his defenses. "I am sorry, Kankuro, I can't stay. I am not happy here… It is not your fault at all, do not blame yourselves. Even if you become King my happiness lies within another, and I will not be happy without that one person in my life." He understood what he brother meant. Gaara didn't mind becoming king. It was the fact that he would be separated from his one true love. They could never be truly happy, due to the law that separates them. If Lee could be with him in the castle, then he would stay. But because of that, he cannot.

"I am leaving for good because I am in love." He finally said with a tinge in his chest and a shallow breath. "Society will not accept us together, due to me being a prince. We have decided to run away and not look back. Live a life of freedom and happiness." The prince had to keep track of his words that he was saying. He wasn't sure if his siblings would accept the fact that he was gay. It was a sin and a crime punishable by stoning, or the guillotine.

The prince walked over to the tack room, listening to his horses hoof beats fallow closely behind him, waiting for his master to come out. Gaara retrieved Shukaku's saddle, boots, saddle pad, martingale, bridle and halter. He was making sure that his horse was ready for that long leap over that fence.

As he walked out, Shukaku tapped his hoof on the ground excited about seeing that saddle. He knew that he was going for a ride. The prince could already imagine what he was thinking "Where are we going? Are we going on a trail ride? Are we going jumping? Are we doing polo?" He might have to warm him up before that gallop towards the fence, didn't want to strain him after not being ridden in almost two days.

Grabbing a brush, Gaara began to clean the horse off from the dirt sticking to his coat, still listening to his siblings if they had a comeback to try and convince him to stay or to hear a reaction. Taking the time to pick out any dirt from Shukaku's hoofs as he prepared his animal for the trip to Lee's farm.

**JapanEmoGirl**  
Kankuro opened his mouth to respond to Gaara, but shut it as quickly as he opened it when he heard Gaara say he was in love. Love? Gaara? Who? The questions only built up more, they wanted to know. They wanted to see their brother again. They didn't want this to be the last goodbye; they didn't want this to be the last words. There are still so much Kankuro and Temari both wished to tell him, their brother.

Temari slowly walked up to Gaara, and wrapped her arms around him, hugging him from behind, stopping Gaara from doing anymore things to his horse, "Gaara," she whispered, "please, tell us what happened. We promise we will not tell a soul, why would we? If you're as happy as you say you are with this person, we would never tell a soul where you went."

Kankuro walked over to his siblings, and also whispered, "We don't want this to be our last goodbye. At least tell us where you're going, so we can visit every once and awhile. Then, we won't be as... sad when you're gone forever."

**XxGaaraloverxX  
**This is what the prince was afraid of. Heartache. He wanted to disappear from this castle without so much as a good-bye, but now he has to tell his siblings the heart-wrenching words of his farewell. It hurt. He hated to leave his siblings like this. He could feel his heart constrict with sadness, when his sister held him from behind, making him stop in mid-brush. He remained speechless, though. Should he tell them who has stolen his heart? He was afraid of the reaction he would receive.

The prince placed the brush back on the little stool that Kankuro was sitting on earlier, and looked up at his brother in sadness. "I don't want this to be our final farewell, either. But, I don't know where we are going. I can promise you that I will write to you, at least making sure that I am alright. When we settle, I will give you an address to go by; chances are we will be going south to greener pastures." He told his brother, making sure that it was another promise. He would see them again soon. This would not be the end

With a sigh, he looked up at his siblings and whispered softly, his secret "I have fallen for a man… That is why I cannot stay… I will be found out if I do, and he will be executed for suspicion of harboring a prince." Gaara said with sad aqua eyes. He didn't know if his siblings would be disgusted with him or would shun him from their lives. They both knew homosexuality was illegal.

**JapanEmoGirl**  
Temari let go of Gaara once more, and stood beside Kankuro, awaiting the answer to their question. So far, they only know that whoever Gaara had fallen for and him are leaving the kingdom soon, that Gaara had fallen for someone, and that he didn't know where they were going. That wasn't good enough. Why was he leaving, was the most important question. Why was their little brother leaving, if he wasn't unhappy here? They wanted to know so much, like who was the person he loved, or when they are leaving, but 'why' was the most important thing they wanted to know.

Then, they got their answer. A man... Gaara had fallen for a man. That's why he had to leave. Homosexuality was strictly forbidden in the kingdom. He'd rather give up his life as a Prince, then to give up his love for this mystery person. Somehow, thinking this, Temari smiled slowly, "So, that's why? Gaara, brother, you don't have to be scared to tell us that... we still love you. I understand why you have to leave, now. We won't stop you, right, Kankuro?" She turned to her brother, who was trembling.

Kankuro stared at the hay on the ground, trembling and tears threatening to leave his eyes. He couldn't believe it. How could- why did- ... Kankuro didn't hate his brother for liking men. He loved him, and respected him even more now, actually. He just wished... "Gaara," he said, "don't even think about hesitating when you leave. I want you to follow this man, stay with him as long as you can. Make sure he treats you right, and don't you dare think about leaving him. This is a big thing you're doing. I respect you more for doing it. I wish I had your courage to do this when I was your age, brother. Follow your dream, and live a happy life. With him." Kankuro looked up at his younger sibling, the tears staining his eyes. He shocked himself, why the Hell was he about to cry. Well, he knew why, but they didn't. He needed to look strong, he can cry like a baby later.

**XxGaaraloverxX  
**When his brother spoke, he was sure to be ridiculed. To be banished by his own family, for his safety. If they wanted him safe, then they would have to exile him from the kingdom to keep from getting killed. Completely opposite to what he was thinking, Kankuro said that he was happy for him, and that he wanted only his happiness.

A big and bright smile decorated the prince's expression, as he openly smiled at them for the first time in years. "T-Thank you…!" Gaara said softly as he reached up and hugged both of his siblings in a heartfelt hug. He would see them again for sure. Even if Gaara had to travel hundreds of miles just to see them. This wouldn't be their final good-bye. They respected his decision to leave the castle and the kingdom, and even supported it. Best of all, they still loved him after he had confessed his love for another man. "I-I will make sure he treats me like the king I was supposed to be. Thank you for everything, dear brother and sister…"

With that, he let go, and turned back around to an eager horse. Shukaku was tap dancing in place as he awaited to be saddled and ridden by his loving master once more. Gaara grabbed his special made saddle and lifted it up to put onto his back. With a girth on one side attached, the prince reached under the horse to pull it on the other side and tighten the saddle on the horse's back. The prince kneeled down and placed Shukaku's boots on his front and back legs, making sure to place bell-boots on his front two feet, for safety. Last but not least, he walked to the front of his lovely Frisian and attached a bridal to his face. Shukaku bucked his head happily, chewing at the bit in excitement. Gaara placed the halter overtop of the bridle, for safe-keeping, and turned around to greet his siblings. "Fallow me outside for a proper good-bye. This will not be the last time we meet."

**JapanEmoGirl**  
Temari stared at Kankuro for awhile, knowing full and well she'll have to talk to him soon after. She turned her head to look back at Gaara, watching him put the last touches on his horse, and getting ready to leave. A small wave of sadness washed over her, but was quickly gone when Gaara turned back around to speak. She and Kankuro both nodded, and quickly followed Gaara quietly. They helped with the searching of knights, but thanked the Heavens when half of them were sleep in their beds, and the other half were asleep on the job. Kankuro made a mental note to scold them later for doing so.

Kankuro looked at the back of Gaara's head as he walked behind him. Gaara was following his dream, being with the man he wanted, and not having second thoughts about it. Not afraid of getting caught. Nothing like himself. When Kankuro was Gaara's age, he was afraid of getting caught. He was afraid of running about with his special someone. He was afraid of everything his little brother wasn't. Which is why he will push Gaara to do it. Do it for himself, and do it for Kankuro. Because he never got to be happy, but Gaara will. Even if the make-up wearing males life was a trade for it.

**XxGaaraloverxX  
**The prince pulled the reins up to rest on the horse's withers, as he simply walked along without leading. There was no need to, as Shukaku fallowed nonetheless. Gaara walked outside of the barn, and took a deep breath of fresh mid-night air. He had never felt so free before this moment. His siblings were happy for him, and he finally gets to live out his dream.

Once outside, he stopped, making Shukaku do the same. Gaara turned around to either side of his horse to pull out the stirrups, ending at the left side. With his hands on either side of the saddle, Gaara placed his left foot in the stirrup and hoisted himself up in the seat. The prince situated himself, placing his other foot securely inside of the stirrup, and grasped firmly onto the reins to keep Shukaku from darting off into a happy trot to have his master atop his back once more. He looked over at his siblings with a happy smile "I bid you farewell, Temari, Kankuro. I shall promise that we will see each other again."

**JapanEmoGirl**  
Both siblings watched their brother get on the horse, and adjust quickly. Temari and Kankuro both said their goodbyes, happy to know that they will meet each other again. They could only wish that it will be soon. With a wave, the brother and sister watched the Prince ride off, both still whispering silent goodbyes, and stared off to where he left when he was no longer in sight.

After a moment, Temari turned her head to Kankuro, wonder in her eyes, "Brother," she said, "why... back there in the stable, why were you...?"

Kankuro kept staring in the direction Gaara left, a small smile on his face, "Because I know what it's like to lose the person you love to the law. I was forced to never see my special person ever again. I will not have the same for Gaara."


	10. Chapter 10

**XxGaaraloverxX  
**A kick to the horse's sides, and Shukaku whinnied happily as he galloped off into the darkness. He knew that the crumbling wall that he was planning to jump was a bit off towards the other end of the castle grounds from the stable.

It felt so good again, riding atop Shukaku as they cantered their way to the wall. The prince seated beautifully, as he easily rode out the canter, just as a beautiful prince should. He could feel the power of the animal underneath him, which only made him stronger to conquer his dream he had with his love. He had to make it back home safely, without notifying the guards. It would be very suspicious for a hooded person riding a majestic Frisian around town. He would get spotted immediately. Luckily, Gaara made it to the castle wall, and he easily fallowed it along its side to the spot where the wall was beginning to crumble, and instead of twelve feet it was seven. It was still a long stretch, but he knows that Shukaku could make it.

Aquatic eyes managed to spot it, after cantering along the fence for a few minutes, pulling the reins and leaning back for a stop right in front of it. The prince looked both ways and noticed that no one has spotted him yet. From where he sat, he could see over the gaping entry towards the forest. He had to make this jump.

Yanking the reins away from the wall, Gaara clicked the horse into a trot as he prepared himself for the leap of faith. He knew that his horse could see how high the jump was, and he knew that he would have to manage that at a strait on gallop.

With a halt, the prince turned the horse around where he stood and concentrated his gaze on that obstacle. He noticed his horses ears pointed ahead, showing his form of concentration as well. They could do this.

The redhead yelped out a "Heya!" and kicked Shukaku into a straight and fast gallop. The prince stood in the saddle, as he eyed the jump as he approached it, through the horse's ears. With the power of the animal he rode, it felt like slow motion, as Shukaku leapt into the air. Gaara could feel the air rush through his face, as he leaned forward in that stand, as the horse jumped. He kept his gaze on his horse's feet, as his front passed… then his back. With a thud, Gaara landed perfectly, as Shukaku continued his stride in a left lead canter, as they headed towards the forest. A pale hand patted the horse's neck in praise at the amazing leap that they just accomplished together, as Shukaku neighed happily.

The only thing left to do was to get back home safely. He hoped that Lee hasn't awoken yet to find him missing; he would surely be in a panic. Not to worry, though, the prince is on his way home. If he cuts through the forest, he should get there unseen in about fifteen minutes.

**JapanEmoGirl**  
Lee blinked awake. He looked outside, through his window, and took a quick guess that it was somewhere in between five and six in the morning. He sat up, stretching his arms until he felt and heard the pop in both elbows. He rubbed his eyes, and looked around the dark room. He looked to his side, where Gaara was laying, only to see he wasn't there. Curiosity filled his body, and he got off the bed, taking a small moment to hiss at the cold floor. Lee walked out of the room, and knocked on the bathroom door, "Gaara-kun? Are you in there?" he asked. He waited a few seconds for a response, and then knocked again.

He didn't get one. Maybe he was in the kitchen. But, before he checked, he really needed to release himself. Quickly, he sighed in relief as he went to the restroom. After all that, he went into the kitchen, hoping to see his redhead in there. Again, he wasn't there. Now, Lee started to get worried, "Gaara-kun?!" He yelled in the house, listening closely in case Gaara was far away. He ran into the living room. Again, not seeing the Prince.

What could have happened? Did Gaara leave Lee in the middle of the night? That's impossible; they had a plan to do today. There's no way Gaara could have left Lee. He had to be outside that must be it. Lee followed his mind, and went out to the patio. Still no Gaara. Is he in the town? No, Gaara wouldn't have left without Lee, or at least telling him where he was going. The only thing that Lee could think of was that Gaara left him. Lee didn't believe it, though. Not yet. He ran into his house, and upstairs, quickly changing. He'll go into town and see if Gaara's in there. Then, he can be proven wrong. Because, there's no way Gaara could have left Lee.

**XxGaaraloverxX  
**"Damn it…" The prince cursed to himself, as he saw the sun arise in through the trees. Shukaku had to trot through the rest of the way due to him being susceptible to falling over twigs and rocks if he went faster. Lee would surely be awake by now. He had told him yesterday that he wakes when the sun starts to rise, which is around 5 or 6 in the morning. Lee would be very upset at him for leaving in the middle of the night like this.

The only thing that he hoped would make Lee happy is the introduction of their new horse, Shukaku. He would be Lee's newest farmhand in helping around the fields. Although, Lee would probably much rather have the prince by his side rather than a horse. He had spent too much time talking at the stables. The prince will be sure to apologize to his love when he sees him at home.

Finally making his way out of the forest, Gaara wondered his way into a pasture of some sort. If he remembered correctly, Lee's home was a little farmland that was out towards the edge of the city, close to it, but not so close that it is directly inside of the town. Gaara wasted no time, as he galloped his way through the field and towards Lee's home.

To his luck, he managed to see an unforgettable garden of that little watermill, and he knew that he had made it. The tired horse slowed its canter, as it saw water, wanting a taste. The prince allowed his horse to drink, but would have to put more water in for the baby koi fish, he just hoped that Shukaku didn't accidentally eat them.

The redhead looked over at the little home that belonged to the man that he loves, and clicked his horse to a walk when he was finished, and went to the stables. He dismounted, and un-tacked him, leaving his halter on. With a pat on the hind, Gaara opened the gate for the small pasture next to the barn, and Shukaku bucked happily as he ran out and played in the field. The prince watched happily for a moment, and put away the horse's equipment and made his way inside of the house, after he made sure to fill up the small pond for Lee's fish.

"Lee? Lee-kun, I am home!" Gaara yelled out, hoping to catch the raven-haired male during a panic so help calm his nerves on the safety of the prince. Sadly, he did not receive a response. Was he still asleep?

The redhead walked through the house, looking in the kitchen, living room, bathroom, and the upstairs guest and their room. The young prince was outside already, so if he was out there he would have seen him. "Lee?!" He yelled out once more, standing inside of Lee's room. Perhaps he walked off into town to fetch the equipment necessary to repair the wagon, or to get some food. Or he went out in search for the long lost prince. Perhaps Gaara should have left a note to ease the older males mind. With a sigh, he lay down on Lee's bed and decided to catch up on the lost sleep that he had during the night.

**JapanEmoGirl**  
Lee looked around the village, searching high and low of the Prince. He checked every ally way, every store that Gaara could possibly walk into, even asked a few people if they had seen a hooded male around here. No luck at all. Where could he be? He isn't home, he isn't in town... could he be in the palace? Lee quickly shook that thought from his head; no way would Gaara go back to that place. Lee was fully aware that Gaara did not like it there. The only reason Gaara would have to go back there was to get his horse-

Lee stopped dead in his tracks. Of course! Gaara left last night to get his horse! Lee felt so stupid for not thinking about it earlier! He happily turned on his heels, and walked back to his house. He had to be home by now, or at least close. Maybe he'll run into him on the way back. He'll finally see that horse of his, Lee was very curious. Lee stopped again. Since he was here, in town, he might as well get the things he needs for the wagon, plus food and water for the travel.

Going on a grocery spree, Lee made a list in his head of the things he needed. Water, wood, nails, bread, and greens. That should be enough. He walked into multiple stores, buying the stuff he needed and walked out, quickly. He wanted to get home and started on the wagon. The sooner he fixes it, the sooner they can leave.

Whistling on his way back, Lee juggled the things and walked in the rhythm of his song. He hardly noticed a certain blonde sneak up behind him, "Wow, bushy-brows. What's all this?" he blurted, nearly scaring Lee to death. He almost dropped everything. Naruto laughed.

Lee playfully glared at the annoying blonde, "I needed some stuff. It's nothing important, but could you help me carry it? I cannot see very well." He said, trying his best to see over the mountain of things.

Naruto nodded, and grabbed half the stuff in Lee's arms, making it possible for him to walk faster and see better, "So, what're you doing today?"

"Just fixing an old wagon. Want to help? The faster I get it done, the faster I can stop carrying all these things by hand," Lee lied though his teeth. No way was he telling him that he and Gaara were running away. He'll most likely try to stop them.

Naruto just shrugged, "Sure. Got nothing better to do today. I'll help," After that, they both walked in silence all the way to the house. Lee kicked the door open, and put the stuff on the counter in the kitchen, "Where's redhead?" Naruto asked after following Lee's example.

Lee looked around, then turned his gaze to upstairs, "I think he's upstairs. I know he's here, though," He pointed out, "now, help me put everything away."

**XxGaaraloverxX  
**The prince stirred, when he heard voices from downstairs. Curse him and his light sleep. He could hear an ant cross the wooden floors and probably wake from a deep sleep. Sitting up and stretching, he yawned cutely, and shook his head a bit. He was happy that he managed to get a few hours of sleep, seeing the sun higher in the sky signaled that it was later in the day. And by the sound of it, Lee was probably home, but someone else was with him.

Slowly, the redhead made his way downstairs peeking around the corner to see a familiar blonde headed man in the kitchen, along with his lovely raven-haired male. It was safe to come out, and that Neji wasn't around to speak down to him as before, he liked Naruto, even if he did tease him to no end about his and Lee's relationship.

"Lee-kun, your back. I was waiting for you." He smiled happily to his love, and nodded over to the guest in the house "Naruto-kun, it is good to see you." With a stifled yawn, the prince walked up to Lee to embrace him, "Sorry if I have worried you." Gaara blinked when he heard a distant horse neigh in the distance and smiled brightly. "I brought you a little something for making you worry." The young prince walked over to the window in the kitchen to see Lee's pasture and a playful stallion bucking and galloping in the field.

With another yawn, Gaara walked over to the cabinets trying to find some coffee to make, he didn't know if Lee had some, but it would really hit the spot about now. "Hey, Lee-kun, do you have any coffee?" If not, he could settle with plain milk.

**JapanEmoGirl**  
Naruto smiled and waved at the redhead when he came down. Lee, on the inside, sighed in relief that he was here, "Good to see ya too, redhead~!" Naruto's smile turned into a sly one. Lee hit him in the back of the head, "OW! Dammit, bushy-brows! You're going to give me a brain tumor one of these days!"

Lee rolled his eyes, "Like you don't have one already," he playfully insulted. Naruto's jaw dropped. He then laughed it off, and shook his head. Lee hugged Gaara back, and shook his head, "You did worry me at first, and I admit it took me awhile to find out where you had gone, but I did eventually,"

Lee smiled at his redhead, and almost saddened when he pulled away. Naruto wiggled his eyebrows. Lee threatened to hit him again, in which Naruto flinched as a reaction, "You brought me something?" Lee asked. He followed Gaara to the window, "You didn't have to, I-" he stopped when he saw a beautiful horse in his yard. Bucking, and running around in the new area. Lee immediately thought of Lotus. That horse must be Shukaku! Looks like Gaara did go and get his horse. Thank goodness he's safe.

Not taking his eyes off the creature, Lee nodded, "Yes, I do. Naruto, can you show Gaara-kun where the coffee is?" He asked, waving a hand in the blonde's direction.

"Uh oh," Naruto laughed, getting the coffee supplies from a cabinet, "I know that look. Watch out, redhead. Lee might just fall in love with that horse. Then, what'll happen?" He joked.

**XxGaaraloverxX  
**The prince giggled at Naruto's and Lee's behavior to one another. They both seemed like good friends, when the blonde wasn't being perverted. "Bushy-brow? What an odd nickname." He smiled up at Lee when the blonde rubbed his head from Lee hitting him. The redhead has gotten used to the blonde's teasing, and commonly blushes whenever he does. He always seemed to bring a smile on his face.

When Naruto helped him get the coffee grinds from the cabinet, the redhead sighed in relief. "Thank goodness…" He heated some water on the stove and placed the grinds inside of a filter, pouring the water over the filter and above a cup, majestically watching the brown liquid fill the mug. He went to retrieve the milk and poured a little bit and added three spoonfuls of sugar to fill his taste buds. He had a sweet tooth to kill. With a sip, Gaara hummed in delight, as he watched his love watch Shukaku with a trance like state.

It warmed his heart to see that Lee liked his horse. Who wouldn't? This was a top of the line Frisian. He was a tall and beautiful horse. An all black coat, with a dark black wavy mane and tail, and not to mention his furred feet, he was very beautiful.

Gaara giggled to Naruto's assumption. He understood Lee's perception, though. It was probably so long since Lee has seen a horse in that same pasture that Shukaku is playing in. "I don't know what I will do~." He said playfully to the blonde. With a tender touch, Gaara placed a hand on Lee's arm. "Do you like him Lee? He'll definitely be strong enough to pull the wagon when it is fixed up. Maybe he might even let you ride him. Just like you used to do with Lotus." He knew that Shukaku might take some getting used to for Lee, but with Gaara there, his horse knew better than to be rude to anyone. It even took months for his brother and sister to come near the horse, since the animal was so protective to the redhead. If anyone else was near, when him and his horse were together, it was known that Shukaku might attack. Shukaku may have grown out of that, but he still was weary.

**JapanEmoGirl**  
Naruto laughed at Gaara's joke. Lee rolled his eyes, still hearing everything their saying. He ripped his eyes from the horse, to Gaara when he was touched, "Yeah, he is a beauty. I haven't seen such a horse in awhile," he smiled. He then looked at Naruto, "shall we get started on the wagon, Naruto?" He asked.

Said blonde nodded and pumped a fist in the air, "Oh yeah! We're gonna fix that wagon so hard! Let's go, bushy-brows!" He yelled, and then ran out the back door, obviously excited about fixing something.

Lee groaned and ran after him, "Naruto! I told you dozens of times to stop calling me that!" He yelled after him.

Once he got there, he walked to the cellar, opened it with little struggle. Dust blasted everywhere; both men waved their hands in front of their faces to rid it from their faces. Lee carefully walked into it, along with Naruto, and they both pulled out a large wagon, completely beat up and dangerous, "Looks like it needs more fixing then I thought," he laughed in embarrassment.

**XxGaaraloverxX  
**The prince laughed softly at Naruto's enthusiasm. The man seemed overly excited about doing something along the lines of fixing an old wagon. Although, it made him smile that Naruto wanted to help them out in any way possible.

With his coffee still in hand, the prince fallowed Lee outside and stood outside of the cellar. He would like to help, but when it comes to physical labor or fixing anything, he is as useless as a rock.

The redhead stood back and watched as the two men brought out a big wagon that looked like it needed more than fixing. It was tattered and chipped in some places. The horses harness was placed inside of the wagon itself. The wheels on it were splintered and probably needs replacing. Gaara knew that he might have enough gold to retrieve any extra parts that the wagon might need, other than that it looked well put together, so there was no need to go out and purchase a brand new wagon. Not even Gaara could afford to buy that. And to top it all off, it looked like it was handmade, probably by Lee's father. The redhead would never even dream of taking something like that and throwing it away. His father would be proud to get it fixed up and working right again.

"If there are any other parts needed, I think I have enough gold to pay for it." The prince said softly, as he reached into his pocket to count out the gold pieces he had on him. This money now belonged to him and Lee together. Anything to help achieve their dream. He could see his horse standing close to the fence and looking over curiously at what his master and these other two humans were doing. Of course Shukaku doesn't know what a wagon is, since he has never pulled one before, but he could easily learn. He was a smart horse.

**JapanEmoGirl**  
Naruto clapped his hands so the dust would get off of him, "Wow, this is a wreck. It'll probably take all day. Maybe we should get more help, like Kiba, or Neji."

Lee did the same as the blonde, then thought, "Wait, doesn't Kiba build things for a living? Yeah, we should ask him! Can you go and get him real quick?"

Naruto saluted Lee, laughed, and then ran off to do his mission, "Can do, bushy-brows!"

Lee shook his head, and looked over the wagon, "I really wish he would stop calling me that," he mumbled. Standing up, he looked at Gaara. Lee smiled, deciding to give him some information, "Kiba is a good friend of ours. He's kind of like a blacksmith, but with wood. Don't be shy around him; he's a little bit like Naruto. But, he's more tamed. He'll help a lot with this," Lee looked back at the wagon, and sighed, "A lot of work needs to be done."

**XxGaaraloverxX  
**The prince watched as Naruto ran off into the town, then turned his attention towards the love of his life. He listened, a bit curious of whom this "Kiba" person was. Would he be like Neji? Or hyperactive like Naruto? Even though, Lee told him not to be shy, he probably was still going to be either way. The prince was just a shy person in general. He couldn't help it.

"O-Oh alright. I cannot wait to meet him." He said with a gentle smile. Since they were alone, save a horse in the field, Gaara slowly walked up to Lee and looked up at him with those sparkling diamond-like eyes. "Lee-kun…" He started, but he was a bit shy to ask. They were alone together, and Gaara wanted to enjoy this moment, even for a little bit. "W-Would you like to sit with me?" He finished, walking over to the porch, and sitting on the little swing seat, hoping that his love would sit with him. What he wanted to do was to kiss him again. It was strange that he had these physical feelings for the male in such a short time. Even his dream was a bit explicit. He was glad that Lee didn't walk up to see him in bed, sweating and panting lightly. To his luck, he managed to surpass these urges, but that didn't mean that he didn't feel them.

**JapanEmoGirl**  
Lee raised a large eyebrow at Gaara. He was suddenly being shy out of nowhere. Lee figured out pretty quickly that that meant the Prince wanted attention. Lee smiled and nodded, walking towards Gaara and sitting with him, wrapping an arm around him and pulling him close, kissing and cuddling him, "Of course I will sit with you," he laughed, looking down at the redhead, "why wouldn't I?" Of course it was a rhetorical question. They both knew that Lee would always do what Gaara wanted. He was just that much in love with him.

Lee looked out at his backyard, watching Shukaku with half lidded eyes. Enjoying the scent of his precious redhead in his arms. Seriously, what did Gaara do to make him smell so good? Lee needed to ask him that one day.

**XxGaaraloverxX  
**A sigh of relief passed the prince's peach-colored lips. Lee seemed to understand what the redhead wanted. He couldn't help himself, right now he wanted to be held, kissed and cuddled with the man he loves. With each gentle peck of Lee's lips on his, Gaara met back eagerly, as he cuddled into the taller males hold on him.

He reached up and gripped Lee's shoulders and the shirt covering it, while tucking his head neatly underneath his chin. He felt the swinging chair move gently with Lee's motions as he rocked it back and forwards comfortingly. The redhead curled his legs up with Lee, and sighed in content. This feeling seemed like a rush of euphoria that tingled through his body. The older male seemed to read his mind when he asked for him to sit with him. He knew that he wanted some attention, and gladly gave it to him.

With slow movements, Gaara moved a leg over Lee's and sighed again as he got his fix of attention that he craved. "Th-Thank you, Lee…" Maybe it was the fact that he didn't get to spend the entire night in Lee's arms that he felt deprived of the attention. He had to awake to fetch his horse, and then he had to sleep alone and wait for him to come back. "I love you…" He whispered, turning his head a bit to plant a gentle kiss on his neck, then snuggling back up into the warm man.

**JapanEmoGirl**  
Lee smiled and awed at his adorable Prince. He held him tighter. Lee gently kept the swinging going, and shivered when he felt Gaara kiss his neck, "I love you too, Gaara-kun. Forever," he whispered back, tilting Gaara's head up to give him a passionate kiss on the lips. He filled the action with love, and care, not wanting to go too far with his Gaara.

He slowly pulled away, and chuckled, his face a little red, "sorry, I couldn't resist." He said, and snuggled the redhead again, enjoying the alone time they have together.

He really does love this man. This Prince. His Prince. Gaara just got to him so quickly, from the moment he saw him. It was a little like 'love at first sight'. Lee remembers people telling him that no such thing was true, but he couldn't shake the feeling that it was. Now, he was positive it did. Because, if it wasn't for that, Gaara wouldn't be here, in his arms. Lee wouldn't be kissing and hugging him like this. He couldn't imagine what it would be like if Lee and Gaara never met. It seemed like they just belong here, together, right now. He couldn't see it any other way.

**XxGaaraloverxX  
**That passionate kiss stole his breath away for a moment. Leaving him a bit dizzy and disoriented after they separated. A pink tongue darted out to lick his own lips to savor the flavor of his love, chuckling up at the blush that stained Lee's face. He wouldn't doubt that there was a cherry red blush on his own face at that moment as well. "Mmm… N-No need to apologize~. I liked it~." That soft moan seemed to ring in his ears, why did he do that? Was he coming on too fast? Lightly, the prince shook his head, detaining any naughty thoughts that crossed his head. Yes they were alone, but people were planning to show to assist Lee in fixing their wagon.

Instead of pushing Lee further, the prince decided to take a deep breath, and pull himself up into Lee's lap like yesterday. Maybe this will calm him down a bit, and help him relax. He might be still jumpy from the night before, trying to avoid the guards. He gripped onto Lee's shirt and tucked his head back to where it was before and sighed. The warmth was so addicting and he loved how Lee held him. So perfectly fitting. Like he was meant to be in the arms of this man. This truly was "Love at first sight." Gaara has never felt anything like this in his entire life before. Not only is the young prince emotionally attracted, but he is physically as well. He just can't seem to get enough of his touch.

**JapanEmoGirl**  
Lee blinked at the noise and words Gaara made, allowing him to switch positions. Lee took a moment to think about what happened, then hugged Gaara tightly, nuzzling his head in Gaara's neck, "Gaara-kun~! You're so cute, you know that!" he giggled a little, like a schoolgirl, and kissed his forehead.

"Whoa, guys! Not in front of the kids!" Lee heard Naruto say. He looked up to see said blonde, covering Kiba's eyes with a smirk. Lee groaned on the inside, a little disappointed that the small moment was ruined.

"Hey, Kiba," Lee moved Gaara from his lap, and got up, walking towards the two men. Kiba swatted Naruto's hand away, and Lee laughed, "So, you agreed to help?"

**XxGaaraloverxX  
**It shocked him a bit, but it still made him laugh, pressing his palms on Lee's chest for the balance. He felt so giddy, a blush staining his cheeks from the tight hug and nuzzling he received from the man he's being snuggled to death with. "Hehe~! Lee-kun~!" He laughed happily. Even though it made him blush like mad, he still returned all of the cuddling, that he could do in his position. The prince even acknowledged the gentle kiss that was placed on his forehead.

To his disappointment, his whole body jumped up in fright when he heard the voice of the familiar blonde ring in his ears. The prince jerked his head around to see two people standing in Lee's front yard. The new guest had short brown, spiky, hair and was around the same height as the blonde. He blushed further, at the thought of being caught in such an intimate moment with his love by a new stranger.

The young prince blinked as he was moved, and heard the sigh leave Lee's lips. It seems that he wasn't the only one who was disappointed. Aquatic eyes watched as Naruto's hand was swatted away by the newcomer, and Lee walking up to them to talk about the wagon being fixed. Oh well, it wouldn't be all bad. Once they hook Shukaku up, they will have all the time in the world for each other.

Slowly, the prince made his way up to the trio, and hid behind Lee, peeking over his shoulder at the newest person, wondering if he would recognize him at all. Would he be willing to turn him in for the ransom of cash that the king is offering for his return? He didn't wish to speak, only waiting for Lee to make sure that it was safe for him to reveal anything important to the new guest.


	11. Chapter 11

**JapanEmoGirl  
**Kiba nodded, "Yeah, I didn't have anything to do today, anyway," he waved a hand in Lees direction, smiling. His eyes looked at the figure behind Lee, and they widen, "i-is that Prince Gaara?"

Lee gave a nervous chuckle. Not because he was afraid to tell Kiba, but because he has to explain it, again, "Yeah, long story short, he ran away from the castle, and we took a liking to each other," he smiled at the shy redhead, and looked at him with love in his eyes before looking back at Kiba, "so, I need this wagon fixed, so it will be easier to carry stuff."

"Say no more!" Kiba shouted in a superhero kind of way, "I understand completely! Now, let's get started!"

Naruro shouted a 'yeah!' In response, and all three men raced to the wagon. They began talking about the parts, what needed to be done, and how they were going to do it. At one point, when both Lee and Naruto bent down to take apart the old, rickety parts, Kiba sent a look to Gaara, trying his best for the Prince not to see it. The look was longing, sadness. So much depressing emotion, that Kiba quickly whipped it off his face, and got back to work.

**XxGaaraloverxX  
**Gaara's eyes widened in shock when the man knew exactly who he was, peeking his head out more to see him from behind Lee. This was the third person to know who he was spot on. Naruto was the first, then Neji. Now this "Kiba" knew him just from a flash of red hair and a sparkle of those aquatic eyes.

What surprised him even more was the fact that this man didn't fight back against him when Lee told his story to him. He didn't say that he was going to turn him in, or anything of the sorts. The eager man simply smiled and wanted to get right to work on that wagon. It made him happy to know that people were happy to lend a hand to the prince and Lee.

Shukaku was grazing in the field and raised his head to the newcomer as they all raced down to the old wagon. That horse was not familiar with new people and, he simply backed his ears and trotted to a spot further in the field and continued to graze. It made the prince shake his head and giggle. His horse was so picky. He knew that this "Kiba" was a good fellow, and deserved to be treated with respect. So that is what the prince was going to treat him with.

When they all made it to the wagon, the small redhead walked his way towards the small crowd, only to pause mid-way when the new guest gave him a certain look that sent chills down his spine. It seemed as though Kiba was saddened as he was looking at him. Did the prince do something to upset him? Yet, it was quick, as he wiped it off in a split second and got back to work on the wagon.

This brought a small frown on the redhead's face, as he continued from his pause and walked towards the group, to see if they needed any assistance. There were three strong men, so he didn't know if they would really need a useless prince who didn't know much about physical labor, but at least he could get them drinks if they were thirsty. "D-Do you need my help…?" He asked the group, folding his hands in a gentle gesture in-front of him.

He was unsure if he should ask about the look that he received from the guest. Afraid if he would hit a nerve, or upset him. Perhaps he would ask him after they are finished working on the wagon.

**JapanEmoGirl**  
The three men nodded at each other. Lee and Naruto stood up, wiping the grass off their pants. Naruto headed for the back door, Lee following him, "Not right now, Gaara-kun," he said, walking backwards to talk to his lover, "thank you, though. Naruto and I will be right back; we need the parts that I bought earlier."

Both males disappeared in the house, leaving a standing Gaara, and a working Kiba. Said dog lover finished pulling the broken boards and wheels off, clapping his hands together and whipping them on his pants. He smiled at the now taken apart wagon, congratulating himself on the inside. He glanced up at the other person outside, the sad look across his face again, "Hey, um, Gaara-sama?" He slowing spoke up, quickly alerting his eyes from said redhead.

**XxGaaraloverxX  
**The young prince blinked, then nodded quickly at his love. "O-Oh, ok then, Lee-kun. Just give me a call if you need me for anything." He said to Lee as he waved at the two that entered the house to retrieve the parts needed to finish the job. He was wondering how much the blonde and Kiba would like for their troubles. He had probably enough gold on him to pay then for their labor and assistance.

Gaara's concentration was mainly focused on the home that his love walked in, before he heard his name being called from behind him. Slowly, he turned to face the one who spoke his name, and blinked his soft aqua orbs at him, feeling the wind rustle his red locks. "Y-Yes, Kiba-san? Is there something you need? I could fetch you a drink if you would like." He asked with a polite smile. The prince thought of nothing more than to be polite to this man who was helping him and Lee.

**JapanEmoGirl**  
Kiba quickly looked at Gaara, and raised his hands, shaking them left to right, "No no no, um, thank you though," Kiba gave his a rather awkward, nervous smile. He raised a hand to scratch the back of his head. This was harder then he thought. He really wanted to know the answer to the question he had in his mind, and he didn't think Gaara would be offended by it. So, why was he being so nervous?

With a sigh, Kiba lowered his hand, and forced his eyes on Gaara. They didn't stay there long. His eyes started to dart away, looking anywhere but the Prince. He finally focused on a ladybug that has now landed on the wheel. What a pretty bug, "H-How-" he stopped himself, and cleared his throat a bit, "how is your brother? I-I mean, is he doing alright?"

Five dots. That ladybug has five dots. Two on one wing and three on the other. Kiba watched it crawl around, then finally fly away. Near said brunette, then off to where Kiba's eyes couldn't follow.

**XxGaaraloverxX  
**The prince nodded when he didn't wish to have a drink, and awaited for what he was going to say. He seemed to be a bit nervous for some reason. Was it something the prince had said? Without making it seem harder for Kiba to answer, he simply smiled warmly at the man hoping to come off as non-threatening. He hoped that he didn't make the man nervous with his presence. Not many people liked to be around royalty, since they were expected to act so formal. It didn't matter to him, though. Naruto treated him, along with Lee, like any other normal human being.

His attention seemed to be elsewhere, not focusing on the prince whatsoever. When he first spoke, it was a short and choppy word, as if he was struggling with his speech. The prince jolted and listened in carefully, patiently awaiting for what he was going to say. Although, he still looked at the ground and not at the prince directly. He didn't find it rude at all, some people were nervous and he never judged them for it.

"M-My brother? Kankuro-nii-san?" He asked, confirming what the man had asked him. He had no idea that Kiba even knew about his brother at all. Perhaps he was a distant friend, that his brother rarely seen. Since royalty was rarely allowed to leave the castle grounds, he must have known him from those times he gets to go outside of the palace walls. "W-Well," he started "He is doing very well. Are you a friend of his? It is strange, I have never seen you before, nor has he ever mentioned he ever had a friend." The prince asked curiously.

**JapanEmoGirl**  
Kiba tried his hardest to not blush when the other Prince's name was said. He looked at Gaara, and gave a quick, eager nod, hoping to get something out of him. He smiled in relief to know that Kankuro was doing well, and blinked in confusion at the other words. Realization soon struck him, and he smiled a little, looking down at the ground. His face turned a little pink, and his eyes filled with a dream like gaze, "Y-Yeah... a friend, you could say that. We haven't seen each other in years. It's no surprise that he never mentioned me, our, um, friendship was kind of... secret..."

Oh, there was his ladybug friend, again. He pulled out a hand, seeing that said bug landed on it. He watched it crawl over his hand. He turned the limb around, so the bug was upright all the time, "Uh, if you ever get the chance, you know, to talk to him," Kiba finally spoke up, "could you tell him that... I miss him? A lot?"

**XxGaaraloverxX  
**The princes eyes widened when Kiba claimed that he was a friend but was confused a bit by the way he portrayed it. Could he have been more than a friend? It was easy to see the pink blush that stained his face, when Gaara mentioned his brother. Kiba looked a lot like the redheaded prince does when he thinks of his Lee. It made his suspicions even more abroad when he said that their relationship was a "secret."

His eyebrows rose in sudden realization. He remembered the sheer determination in his brother's face when he left the night before. He wanted the young prince to fallow his dreams, to be stronger than he was when he was younger. Back then, he didn't understand him too much. Now that he sees this man that is blushing and speaking about his brother's friendship as a secret, he understands. This could possibly be Kankuro's courage that he told him that he wishes he would be stronger and fight for. Kiba could be what Lee is to Gaara. A very dear person that his brother loves.

The shocked prince jerked his attention up, seeming to focus on the ladybug that the other man assisted, when he spoke. He swallowed thickly, and blinked a few times before responding. He had no idea that his own brother had feelings for another man; it sent a wave of happiness through him, but also a bit of sadness as well. His brother probably misses Kiba dearly, and would love to hold him once more. He knew that if he was separated from his Lee, he would be devastated.

The prince cleared his throat and nodded, looking up into Kiba's blushing face, "Y-Yes, of course, Kiba-san. If I do see him, I will send him your regards." He felt horrible. If only he had known this man before he left the night beforehand, he would have gladly taken him with him to reunite them. Perhaps, he could make a second trip as payment for repairing their wagon…

"K-Kiba-san… U-Uh… C-Could I speak to you in private? I am unsure when Lee and Naruto will be back. Would you care to walk with me to the barn? It will only take a moment." He gestured his hand towards the stable to accentuate his point, giving a gentle smile up to him.

**JapanEmoGirl**  
Kiba sighed in relief. Gaara didn't seem too suspicious. Either that, or Kiba has been paying a little too much attention to the ladybug. He smiled, once again, and nodded. Good, Gaara will tell Kankuro. He wanted the older Prince to know that the dog lover still misses him. He was a good person to Kiba, very important. He wished he could spend one more day with Kankuro, but he knew that would never happen. Once he would spend a day with him, Kiba knew he would want more.

The brunette looked up from the now, again, flying away bug, and gulped when Gaara said his words. Uh oh. He did suspect something; Kiba could see it in his eyes. He wasn't hiding it very well, now Kankuro will be angry with him. What does he want to know? M-Maybe Gaara just wants to know about the wagon, and showing Kiba where some spare parts were in the barn, yeah! That must be it! Kiba nodded, walking nervously to the barn, making sure Gaara was following.

It's not that Kiba was afraid of telling Gaara, but afraid of saying it to someone else. It's been years since he last saw Kankuro, and he wasn't sure if he should move on from his... friendship with him or not. Had Kankuro moved on? God, Kiba hoped not. That would be too painful.

**XxGaaraloverxX  
**When they both made it to the safety of the barn, Gaara turned towards the nervous looking man with a soft and understanding gaze. He looked as if he had accidentally told a secret and was nervously thinking of what he was going to do and say next. He was hoping that he wasn't going to step on anymore nerves, only because Kiba looked like he was shaking with fear for some reason. He didn't wish to say it aloud, afraid of the reaction he might receive, and so he kept his assumption to himself and only offered a small chance.

"Kiba-san, I wish not to intrude on your and Kankuro's friendship, but if you would like, I could possibly arrange a meeting for you to meet him once more." He said, choosing his words carefully. "It must be awful to be away from a friend for so very long. You even say that you miss him dearly." That must have been why his brother seemed so sad before. Did he miss someone from years ago? Was this the man that he was thinking of? "I am sure that my brother misses you just as much, and he has not forgotten you."

Placing a gentle hand on his shoulder for comfort, the prince smiled "You know, I may have ran away, but that pure-bred Frisian in the pasture didn't come from the town, as you might of guessed." He was hoping to get the man to smile, and be happy instead of horribly nervous. "He is my own horse from the royal stables. And while I was taking him with me, I met Kankuro there as well. He was upset at my leave, but he seemed troubled, as though losing another friend." The young prince, let go and looked into those dark eyes across from him, "I am sure that he misses you dearly, Kiba-san."

With a sigh, the prince ruffled his hair with a pale hand, taking a deep breath afterwards. "If you would like, I could take you to see him. That could be a payment for repairing our wagon. Unless you prefer gold instead." He wagered. "So, what do you say, Kiba-san? A meeting with another prince, my brother, for fixing our wagon?" A pale hand reached out, asking for a handshake and an agreement. He would gladly pay this man, but he would prefer for him and his brother to be reunited together. Then he could leave his family knowing that his brother will be happy that not only the redheads dream came true, but his brother's did as well.

**JapanEmoGirl**  
Kiba's nerves seemed to disappear when Gaara started to talk. His smiled grew wider and wider, thinking of all the things that could possibly happen if he saw the older Prince again. All the things they could say to each other, the things they could do together that they haven't done in so long. Possibilities raced in his head, and he grew ecstatic. He almost shook the redheads hand instantly, almost too eagerly. But, he stopped himself before he could.

He remembered something Kankuro told him before they parted. Something big, emotional. Something that, not a moment later, broke Kiba's heart into two. Something that immediately brought tears into his eyes. Something that he completely understood. Kiba shook his head, and gave a weak smile, "I'm sorry, but... I have to deny your offer. To both, seeing your brother again, and the gold. As much as I would love to see him, Kankuro told me specifically that he didn't want to see me..."

Before anyone could say more, Naruto poked his head into the barn, a large grin on his face when he saw them, "There you are! What're you guys doing in here?" He stood straight and leaned on the door.

Kiba looked at Naruto and chuckled. He waved a lazy hand, "Gaara-sama and I were looking for spare parts."

Naruro laughed. He walked over to the redhead, and wrapped an arm around him, getting as close as he would allow himself, "Good, I wouldn't allow you flirting with redhead. You know he's mine."

"Actually, I think I can argue with that statement," Lee spoke up, walking into the barn and yanked Naruto off of Gaara, "who did Gaara-kun choose? Sure wasn't you." He wrapped his arms around Gaara waist from behind, resting his chin on the Prince's shoulder.

Naruto started laughing. Kiba laughed with him, "Yeah, Naruto. Don't you have a thing with Hinata, anyway?"

Naruto stopped laughing, and stared at Kiba, "Don't make a playful conversation a serious one, Kiba."

Now it was Lee's turn to laugh, "Alright, guys," he said, walking out the barn and to the wagon, Kiba and Naruto following, "let's get back to work."

**XxGaaraloverxX  
**Opposite of what the young prince was expecting, Kiba actually rejected his offer. Imaginary eyebrows scrunched together in confusion. Slowly, the redhead dropped his hand, and gave a sad gaze over to the kind man. Then that sadness turned to shock when he heard what his own brother had said. Kankuro said that…?! Unbelievable. How could his own brother do such a thing! Gaara could only imagine how Kiba must have felt when those words were told by his love. The heartache that he felt must have been unimaginable. He gasped, raising a hand to his lips in shock, "I-I…-" He started to say, but was interrupted by a blonde head peeking from the wooden barn door.

His sparkling bluish eyes darted to Naruto's, before moving to a soft spoken Kiba. He couldn't help but to feel so badly for this poor man. The next time he sees his brother he will be sure to tell him Kiba's regards, and to give him a stern scolding for crushing this man's heart. Along with that, he will be sure to make him go back and apologize and make up for what he has done. Although, Gaara decided not to ponder the subject any longer, knowing that it would only bring Kiba more heartache.

His attention was grabbed by an arm wrapping around him, boldly. The humor was spilt back into the air once more when Naruto came around, making a smile slide back on his face. The small prince shook his head with a smile and a small giggle. He knew that his knight in shining armor would be around to save him from the clutches of the playfully flirting blonde.

Just as he thought, there came his man to his rescue. With a tug, the blonde was off him in seconds, and the arms of the man he loves was wrapped perfectly around him, from behind, protectively. Gaara acknowledged Lee's head on his right shoulder by placing his right hand on Lee's cheek and giving a soft smile to him. "You can't argue with that, Naruto-kun~. I have already chosen the man for me~…" He finished by giving Lee a gentle peck on the cheek pressed up against his.

Gaara darted his gaze over to the blonde when he was spotted about that woman that he met at Naruto's shop; he knew that there was something going on between them. He could tell just by the way that she acted around the blonde that she liked him.

Gaara looked up at Lee when he got the groups attention and tried to get everyone focused on work once more. With a last sad gaze over at Kiba, he fallowed Lee out towards the old wagon that needed to be fixed. He would always be there to resituate the deal that he made. All Kiba needed to do was to shake his hand and he would gladly take him to see his brother. Although, he respected the man's decision, and made sure to leave him alone about the subject. The same could not be said for his own brother when he sees him again, though…

**JapanEmoGirl**  
Hours passed painfully slow as the three men worked on the wagon. They were almost done, so they called a break and sat down to relax in the cool house. They only called for Gaara's help every now and then, but at least they did at all. Naruto sighed, grateful to get his feet off the ground, "Hey, redhead," he called Gaara sweetly. He pulled a puppy dog face and pleaded, "can you get us some lemonade, pwease~?"

Lee rolled his eyes, and sat next to Naruto at the table, "If I was not so tired, I would smack your head, Naruto." He said plain and simple.

"Yay for tiredness!" Naruto cheered, pulling his arms in the air and laughed.

Kiba flipped his chair over and sat in it, stretching his legs and folding his arms over the back of the chair, "On another note, we're almost done, guys. We just need to put new wheels on. Lee and I can go get some after our break. Naruto, since you complained through almost the entire time, you can stay here and relax while we do that."

Naruto smiled big, "Alright!"

**XxGaaraloverxX  
**The young prince looked as if he wasn't needed in assisting the three men working on the wagon. So, he busied himself by cleaning up the barn and fixing a nice stall for Shukaku. Gaara made sure to empty out the stall of any of Lee's belongings and place down nice soft bedding for him to stay in tonight.

To the prince's expectations, Lee did have everything available to care for a horse with. Gaara found old horse pellets near the back of the stable, probably was still good to use and a couple of brushes and picks to clean the horse with. He even found a shoeing station to make horseshoes for the horses.

The prince poured a bucket of food for their horse, and lifted a four gallon bucket to the pump, and pumped some water for Shukaku to drink. Even to his surprise, he found an old western Saddle and bridle, and a horse blanket that had Lotus' name etched onto the flank. Carefully, the prince folded the blanket, and dusted and brushed off the old leather saddle and bridle. He hung the bridle next to Shukaku's, hoping that Lee would notice what he has found. The saddle was placed on a saddle stand next to Shukaku's English saddle within the barn. He would make sure to take Lotus' tack with them on their journey. During this cleaning moment, the prince made sure to dash to assist the three hard working men whenever they called for him.

The tired prince stood in the now cleaned barn. Shukaku won't mind sleeping in this now, that it is nice and tidy. It almost looked as good as the royal stables. He turned around and walked towards the house, looking over the wagon as he walked by. It looked much better than it did before, all it really needed now was a few wheels and it looked like it would be ready to roll. He couldn't wait to hook Shukaku up to it and see it in real action.

When he walked into the house, it seemed like a major temperature difference from outside. It was nice and cool from the overheated redhead, as he made his way into the kitchen to grab a glass of water for a quick sip.

Gaara blinked when he heard the back door open and the sound of the three men from outside coming in, perhaps for a quick break before finishing the job. They all plummeted themselves down in the living room, making small talk about the fact that they are taking a break and they are almost done.

The young prince tilted his head slightly when he saw the blonde look his way and give out the biggest puppy-dog eye look he has ever seen. It made him giggle, as he asked so kindly, looking over at Lee as he threatened to smack him again except he is too tired. "Hehe~ It is no trouble~. Lemonade coming up, guys." Gaara claimed aloud to the group of tired workers, as he made his way back into the kitchen to fix up three glasses of lemonade.

Pulling open the upper cabinets, the prince stretched up on his tippy toes and retrieved three tall glasses, and placed them down on the table. He poured some freshly squeezed lemonade in with sugar to make it sweet. Luckily, the wells water seemed to be fairly cool, there was no need for ice.

He gripped all three carefully, and made his way into the living room handing out the drinks. "One for you, Naruto-kun. One for you Kiba-san." The prince handed out the drinks to the begging blonde, and the relaxing brunette, and then walked to his love. "…And, one for you, Lee-kun~." He overheard that Lee and Kiba would be going into town to purchase new wheels to the wagon outside, leaving Naruto behind to relax. It would be nice to hang out with the overeager blonde; they could perhaps talk and get to know one another better.

The prince reached into his pocket and pulled out all of his gold and placed it onto the coffee table in front of them. "I believe that I have enough to purchase the wheels…" He said unsure how much they really were, he knew that he probably had enough to buy a couple of horses with the money that he had. "Please use this to buy the wheels."

**JapanEmoGirl**  
The men took the lemonade with no hesitation. They eagerly took a gulp, Naruto sighing in happiness. They all nodded in a thank you, and finally started to cool off from the heat of working and outside. Lee looked at the money and raised an eyebrow, "Are you sure, Gaara-kun? I mean, this is your money."

Kiba reached for the coins and counted them carefully, "Well, this is enough for three horses! That's about eight wheels! Gaara-sama, where did you get this money?"

Naruto gave Kiba an 'are you serious look', "He's the Prince, remember? He probably has enough coins to live off of for awhile."

Lee shook his head, "Well," he drank the rest of his drink, and stood up. He took the coins from Kiba, and nudged his up, as well, "I still say you should save as much as you can. But, thank you, Gaara-kun. It's a big help," he smiled and leaned forward, kissing the redhead on the forehead, "come on, Kiba. Let's get this over with."

Kiba stretched, and sat his glass down, "Naruto, if I come back and my glass is empty, I'm coming after you with a knife."

Naruto waved his hands and laughed. Lee laughed as well, and he and Kiba left with the coins. Leaving Naruto with Gaara.

**XxGaaraloverxX  
**The redhead blinked and looked over at Lee. He gave a soft smile and shook his head, "Lee, this is not just my money anymore. This is our money, now." The prince claimed as he placed a hand on Lee's.

His attention grasped onto Kiba as he counted what was on the table. Before he could speak, Naruto did at first, making him smile and nod to confirm it. "Well, yes that is practically right. When I left I just grabbed a handful from the treasury to help live off of. If I hadn't run into Lee I would have really needed it to survive."

His aquatic eyes sparkled at the thanks that Lee gave him. He was happy that he was being helpful. "No need for thanks, Lee-kun. I do what I can." The prince blushed and smiled further when he felt a kiss grace upon his forehead, sighing softly. As they left, Gaara waved at them "Be careful now, and get back here safe." He felt like a mother when he spoke like that, but he couldn't help it. He just wanted Lee to be safe.

Now, he decided to grab Lee's empty glass and place it into the sink to be washed later. When all of the glasses are done, then he will get started on cleaning the dishes. The prince sat down and sighed, already missing the tall raven-haired male. He would strike up conversation with the blonde, but he was alone, and this was the first time he has spoken to the blonde without Lee by his side. Not that he worried at all, it was just he was unprotected from Naruto's teasing, now that his knight was gone. Not that he minded, he would gladly endure it, with a smile.

**JapanEmoGirl**  
Naruto made a relaxed sound and went to lie on the couch. He lay on his back and hummed with happiness. He swung his legs around the back of the couch, and rested his arms behind his head. Naruto closed his eyes and smiled, "Man, after a long day of working, I need this rest," he looked at the redhead, "well; this is the first time we've even talked without bushy-brows."

Naruto continued lying down. He took off his headband and shook his head, his hair coming out of place and messy. He played with the headband, "Kiba and I have been friends since forever. He and Lee never really talked, though. They just knew each other," he tapped his chin and sat up, "you know what? I think they wanted some alone time, and just left me!" He crossed his arms and pouted, leaning back in the chair, "you can only have one love in your life, and both Lee and Kiba already had it! They can't be together!"

Obviously, he was joking. Without himself knowing. Cause, Naruto's just that dense.

**XxGaaraloverxX  
**Gaara's mind wondered to later in the night when he would be alone with Lee. He also wondered about taking a nice bath, he was a bit dirty from cleaning out that barn. But another thing on his mind was his brother. He felt like going back in the middle of the night once more and confronting him about Kiba. This time he would be sure to wake Lee and tell him beforehand, so he doesn't panic when he wakes.

Aquatic eyes darted over to the blonde lying down on the couch and propping his feet up like he owned the place. It made the redhead grin and shake his head a bit at the improperness from the blonde-headed man, but he kind of liked it. It made him feel more at home to just lay back and relax. "I know, you all do. That wagon looks so much better than when you first started. It looks as if it was newly bought." The young prince nodded in agreement, for them being alone together without Lee by his side. It was nice to meet Lee's friends, they were very kind people.

Gaara looked over at Naruto as he pulled off his headband looking at the rustled mess of bright blonde colored hair. "Is that so? Kiba is a very nice gentleman." He said softly, still remembering that sad look over the brown-haired males face when he refused the offer from earlier. It would have been a challenge, but Gaara would have gladly snuck the taller brunette into the castle grounds at night so he and his brother could talk.

Gaara folded his hands into his lap, and looked over at Naruto a bit shocked, when he sat up suddenly. Gaara thought for a moment when the other male in the room claimed that they wished to have some alone time with one another. Perhaps they wished to gain a better friendship by walking together. The prince had no right to keep Lee away from his friends, after he so kindly accepted him into his home, and after they all helped them with their wagon. "I am sure that they just wish to discuss matters about that wagon. Also, they might need a new horse harness; the one in there seemed a bit torn and tattered… I am sure it will be fine though. You said that you were very tired, right?"

The prince blinked when Naruto said that Kiba already had a love in his life. Cautiously, the redhead decided to press the matter "Kiba-san already had a special person in his life? Do you know who they are?" He was hoping that it wasn't true. The brunette seemed so fixated on his older brother, so he suspected them to be very close. Gaara was already mad enough at his brother for breaking this man's heart, now he has already given it to someone else to mend?


	12. Chapter 12

**JapanEmoGirl**  
Naruto calmed down, and rubbed his eyes. He looked at Gaara as he talked, trying not to laugh at the Prince's seriousness. He blinked once Gaara questioned him, and realized what he had done, "Shit, did that slip out of my mouth?" He asked, a little too slyly, "oops. I guess I have to watch what I say from now on." He giggled and lay back down.

"Of course I know who it is, Kiba tells me everything. I still remember the nights Kiba would dance around the room, or hum little lullabies when he and that person met. He had it real bad for him, and vice verse," Naruto chuckled at the memories, "Kiba would tell me what he would be wearing, or what he said, or what he did whenever he would get back from his sneak out with him," Naruto tapped his chin, just then remembering what Gaara asked.

"Who was it? It was your brother, Kankuro. I met him once or twice, but not for more than a few seconds. He and Kiba would always sneak out at night, every night. Man, those where good times," Naruto suddenly stood up, sadness reached his eyes, and he stared at his lap, "... but, that didn't last long..."

**XxGaaraloverxX  
**The redheaded prince blushed a bit from the clearly stifling laugh that Naruto was making. He must have thought of him being a very serious guy. It wasn't his fault that is how he was raised. He was raised to be a formal prince, serious all of the time and never joking. Although, slowly he is getting the hang of just relaxing and taking a joke every once and a while, especially with Naruto near him he would have to learn.

The smaller male grinned a bit once he caught onto what Naruto had said, and made him think twice about what came out of his mouth. He knew how to listen carefully, and made sure to latch onto every word.

Gaara listened into Naruto's tale of Kiba's lover. He couldn't help but to feel a gentle pang of happiness hit his heart while listening. Kiba seemed so happy. Dancing and prancing around the room, his heart full of love. It made it real interesting when Naruto slipped out a "him" instead of a her. This eased the prince's heart slightly, knowing that there still was a chance that his brother could be a contestant for Kiba's love. "Aww, my… How wonderful. He seemed so very happy." Gaara said softly, still remembering the light blush that Kiba gave out when asking about his brother earlier.

When his other question was answered, Gaara's eyes widened and he gazed over at the blonde, shocked. "Nii-san?" Gaara's inner person cheered for joy when Naruto said that. "I knew it…" He thought, as he gave out a gentle smile. This was why Kankuro sent him off wanting him to be happy with the one that he loves. Because his older brother didn't have the courage to do it himself, he wished for Gaara to do it for him. The prince cleared his throat; he already knows what happened between the two. Kiba told him, himself.

"I know what happened between them… It is heartbreaking to know that my brother has shoved that man out of his life…" He watched carefully as Naruto got up a layer of sadness covering over those bright blue eyes. Gaara got up with him, standing alongside him. "It pains me to hear how happy Kiba was before and now… He doesn't seem so happy anymore." It was easy to tell that there was something on the brunettes mind. Even more-so that his lovers younger brother is here. It must bring back memories. "Although, I do not plan to leave this empty-handed. For Kiba's sake, I will be heading back to the castle tonight, again, to have a word with my older brother…" the prince said softly and angrily towards the end. There was no way he was going to let Kiba's heart be ripped to shreds like that. Not if the prince of Suna had anything to say about it.

**JapanEmoGirl**  
Naruto stared at Gaara as he talked. He's face blank, and him non-moving. Thinking hard at what the redhead was saying. When he was done, the corners of Naruto's lips twitched up, and he let out a soft chuckled, "I used to be like that," he said, mostly to himself, "I made the same promise that I'd get him and Kankuro back together. It never happened, Kiba never let me,"

Naruto stood up. He put his hands on Gaara's shoulders, and stared him straight in the eyes, "Gaara," he said, ditching his nickname for a moment, "please, try to convince your brother to see Kiba again. You really should have heard all the talking I had to do to get him out of the house when it happened. Hell, all the talking I had to do to get him here," Naruto let go, and took a small step back, "Kiba deserves a happy romance. With Kankuro. So, try your best. Take Kiba with you, if you want. It might be good."

**XxGaaraloverxX  
**The prince was taken aback by the chuckle and tilted his head. He has made a promise to Kiba to get him and Kankuro back together? It seemed that Kiba didn't wish to burden others with his sadness and heartache so he simply let it go. He even told Naruto not to do it.

Gaara was even more shocked when he found Naruto's hands on his shoulders, and for once calling him by his name instead of any of the nicknames that the blonde has given him. He was being serious. "I will, Naruto-kun. There is no need to worry about that. Kankuro will definitely get a harsh tongue-lashing when I am through with him. When I am done, he will be running back into Kiba's arms again, I can assure you that." He will make sure that his brother will regret breaking Kiba's heart, and take him back.

The prince smiled and nodded at Naruto, knowing that this man does deserve happiness. But that smile faltered a bit when the blonde claimed to take Kiba with him, remembering what he told him at the barn. "You are right, Naruto. I even offered it to him as payment for helping to repair the wagon. I was going to sneak him back into the castle, since I know a way to get in unseen. I could see a happy look in his face when I told him that he could see Kankuro again, but to my surprise he refused." Now, Gaara was thinking of merely tying up Kiba and throwing him onto Shukaku's back as they rode into the castle grounds to see his brother. It just seemed that Kiba was a bit stubborn, and would need some convincing. The prince was not going to sit back and watch one of his newest friends have their heart broken.

"I would gladly take him with me, because I have already decided to go to the castle grounds tonight. If Kiba truly wishes to see Kankuro once more, I will be more than happy to take him with me." Now the prince was confident, and will stop at nothing to get him and Kankuro back together, even if it is against their will. "I know that Kiba is a bit nervous talking to me because I am kin to my brother, but whenever you get a chance tell him to meet me at Lee's barn tonight. I plan to take Shukaku for a faster ride through the forest to get there."

**JapanEmoGirl**  
Naruto listened carefully to Gaara's words and smiling widely when he was done. He scooped the redhead in a hug, and spun him around playfully, "Thank you, redhead! You fabulous creature, you! I can't wait to see the happy look once again on Kiba's face! I would kiss you, but I think that's bushy-brows job."

He laughed and sat Gaara back down. Naruto rubbed the back of his head, and giggled uncontrollable. Like a little school girl who just saw her crush looking at her. He finally stopped giggling, and sat back down on the couch, "Gee, it'll be awesome to see Kiba happy again."

Speak of the devil. There's Kiba right now. With Lee. Kiba was carrying three wheels, while Lee was carrying five. The dog lover kicked the door open, and quickly sat the wheels down, stretching and sighed loudly, "Dang, Lee. How do you carry so many wheels at once?"

Lee also sat his wheels down, and shrugged, "I'm strong," he simply said, and looked over at the duo in the room, "have fun while we were gone?"

**XxGaaraloverxX  
**Aquatic eyes widened with shock when his entire body was lifted and spun around in a circle, from a hug. It made him a bit dizzy, but very happy to hear Naruto's excitement. As he was sat down from the dizzying spin, he giggled alongside the blonde, "heh~ Yeah, I would like to see you try that, Naruto-kun. Lee would kill you for that~." He said jokingly, it was nice to spread some humor once in a while.

The prince smiled when the front door opened to reveal Kiba and Lee carrying in eight wheels. That was perfect, just in case they needed extra's if on the journey some of them splintered or broke. They would be perfect replacements. What made the young redhead do a double take was when he saw his Lee with his sleeves pulled back, showing off those muscles, from carrying the wheels. He knew that they were very heavy, not only that but big as well. He carried them like they were nothing. Lee is very strong.

A deep red blush spread over the prince's face as he watched his love place them down and dust himself off a bit, looking up at him and Naruto. "Uh-um…" He was speechless at first, too focused on the fact that his man had muscles. If only he could get a peek at him topless… Suddenly, he blinked and shook his head trying to clear his thoughts, "U-Uh, y-yeah." He cleared his throat and walked up to Lee, smiling up at him "We just had a nice talk, is all."

**JapanEmoGirl**  
Lee blinked at Gaara, confused on why he was stuttering. He flung his gaze over at Naruto, giving him a death threatening look, "Did you do anything?" It was more of a demand, then a question.

Naruto put his hands over his head, and shuttered, "I-I didn't do anything, bushy-brows!" He yelled out, "H-He was fine a minute ago, then you guys came in, and- hold on a minute," he stopped and looked at the blushing Prince staring at Lee's bare arms. A grin smacked him across the face, and he did a weird, fox like chuckle, "Oh~ redhead. I see how it is."

Kiba seemed too caught on, and copied Naruto's grin. Both males put an arm around each other, and the teasing began, "Gaara-sama has his eyes on the prize, eh?"

"The craves for the babes."

"He's hassle'in for the masculine."

Lee was even more confused, now, "What?" He slowly said. Naruto and Kiba just busted out laughing.

**XxGaaraloverxX  
**Gaara's gaze darted to the ground in shyness, but sprung back up when Lee demanded Naruto to answer his question, thinking that Naruto did something. That blonde was always getting blamed, but it was understandable. He was the teaser of the group, and Lee couldn't bear to let the prince take the blame for anything.

Those aquatic eyes caught onto the bright blue's that belonged to Naruto, and he blushed further as he was examined. Knowing him, he will catch on in a second.

There was no surprise there, as not only Naruto, but Kiba also got in on teasing the redheaded prince. Now there were two of them he had to deal with. Kiba spoke first which made his eyes widen slightly, and raise a hand to his burning cheek. Then they both were in on the catchy rhymes that spewed out towards the prince and what he was going after.

With every one that attacked at the defenseless prince, Gaara's blush reddened, spreading over his ears and neck. The redhead turned around, his back facing the two teasers, and covered his beat red face with his hands, trying to pry his mind away from the fact that they were right. Gaara just couldn't help himself. Those muscles were to die for.

What made it worse was the fact that Lee seemed clueless, still showing off his buff biceps, and not giving the poor prince a break from the eye candy that was still shown in front of him. He felt so embarrassed that Naruto and Kiba caught onto his little run-in with those sexy pecks. At least Lee didn't know, the last thing that he wanted him to think of the prince as a pervert. Gaara himself was muscle-less. He had a petite frame, but had nothing considered masculine on his body, except for his nether regions. He simply couldn't help but have his eyes wonder.

**JapanEmoGirl**  
Naruto and Kiba gave out a few more teasing laughers, when Naruto stopped all of a sudden. He just remembered what he and Gaara were talking about before all this, and started to drag Kiba out the back door, "Come on, Kiba. I gotta tell you something."

Kiba, who was now the curious one, willingly followed Naruto, leaving Lee and Gaara in the room. Lee scratched his head, and looked at Gaara, "I have no idea what that was about, but I have a feeling it was something that I wasn't here for," he shrugged. Lee smiled down at his love, and kissed him quickly, pulling away in a teasing matter. Seeing his Gaara all red made him want to cuddle him for a moment.

He grabbed most the wheels, threw them on a back and arms, and quickly getting to the back. Kiba came in and picked up the other wheels, making sure to teasingly flex for Gaara. He laughed, then grew serious, "So, you need to see me later by the barn? Can do. I'll be there an hour into the night," he smiled and walked with Gaara outside, "Naruto wouldn't tell me why, though. Can you?"

**XxGaaraloverxX  
**The young prince thought that he would pass out from all of the blood rushing to his face for the blush. To his luck, they both stopped when Naruto seemed to have a thought, and pulled Kiba to the back door to talk outside for a moment.

The redhead sighed, trying to die down his major blush that he had on his face, looking up at Lee when he received a gentle kiss, which in-turn, made him blush once more. "Heh, a-actually, you could say that it was for something that you 'were' here for, Lee-kun~." He said softly, as he reached up to rub his hands on either of Lee's arms and feel out the hard muscles, massaging them, before pulling down his sleeves before Gaara had anymore breakdowns.

He turned to the sound of the two coming in and taking the wheels outside, grinning and slanting his eyes at the gesture that Kiba made at him and shaking his head. Those two will be the death of him, written on his tomb will be 'death by blushing.'" "Yes, thank you Kiba, I will be waiting for you." He said to him as they both walked outside. "heh~ after teasing me like that, I am afraid that your punishment will be the fact that I will not tell you~." The prince of Suna could do a bit of teasing himself. "You will have to find out when you get here tonight~."

**JapanEmoGirl**  
Kiba dropped the wheels a little too dramatically. He rested the back of his hand on his forehead in a swooning position, and gasped, "Oh, Gaara-sama," he melodramatically said, "why must you be so cruel? You know you liked seeing them."

Kiba stood up straight, and leaned in close, smirking, "Those hot, sweaty muscles, all exposed. Just imagine him shirtless, he probably has a nice, toned eight pack. Oh, he's been training for years, so he might have a handsome tan," he playfully shivered, "just thinking about it makes me hot~."

Kiba decided that was enough, and laughed, walking off and joining the other guys near the wagon. It's what he gets for not telling Kiba why he had to meet him. Naruto pouted, "Why does Kiba get to be close to redhead, and not me?"

Lee shrugged, and smirked, "Because you're you."

Naruto's pout deepened, "You just love to blame me, huh?" Of course, he didn't mean it.

**XxGaaraloverxX  
**Gaara almost laughed at the overly dramatic Kiba standing in front of him. He is a good actor, he will give him that. There it was again, Kiba had him blushing once more just by saying the truth. Of course he liked seeing them; it was hard not to smile when around the dramatic male. "K-Kiba-san~… Shhh, don't tell Lee-kun…" He jokingly said in a whisper, darting his gaze over at the tall raven-haired male as they spoke.

What made the prince's blush worse is when Kiba leaned in and began the teasing once more. Gaara's eyes widened, as he only imagined exactly what Kiba spoke to him, every word. His eyes darted to the ground, and a deep red blush spread across his face and neck as he imagined those 'hot sweaty muscles, all exposed' as Kiba had said. He imagined his Lee shirtless, and he didn't doubt for a second that he had a hidden eight-pack hidden underneath, along with a handsome tan from working out in the sun.

The young prince started to quiver, getting a bit hot under the collar, and he hoped that he didn't develop a 'problem' from below. That would be extremely embarrassing if he had to excuse himself to use the bathroom to take care of his 'issue.' Oh, how Gaara will have his revenge tonight. He knows Kiba's weakness, and will be more than happy to literally shove him into Kankuro when they see each other tonight. The tables will turn soon~… Gaara watched as Kiba walked away, happy with the damage that he has stained onto the poor prince.

**JapanEmoGirl**  
As they began working again, Naruto whispered to Kiba, "Man, what did you say to redhead?"

Kiba smirked and hid a laugh, "Just help me with this," he whispered his plan in Naruto's ear, who copied his smirk and tried to laugh under his breath.

After about ten minutes of working, Naruto stood up and slipped his shirt off, revealing a toned stomach, and buffed pecks. He stretched his arms, and yawned, "Man, it's hot. That shirt was killing me."

Naruto winked at Kiba, who smirked and also stood up, taking his own shirt off, "Yeah, you're right." He agreed, setting his hands on his hips. Kiba wasn't as buff as Naruto, but you can tell there was muscle there. Now, everyone knew his dark skin was not a tan.

Lee raised an eyebrow, and sighed, "It is a bit hot," he agreed and stood up, also pulling his shirt over his head and threw it with the rest. He didn't have that eight pack that Kiba said he did, but he did have a six pack. He had muscles all over, and a nice, even tan. It definitely proved that Lee had been working hard with his training. After that, all three males went back to work, two of them snickering and stealing glances at Gaara.

**XxGaaraloverxX  
**In order to try and cool himself down from getting a bit too 'excited', Gaara went inside to the sink to splash cool water on his face. Kiba's words really got to him, and now he was extremely curious to see his Lee shirtless. Although, he was trying not to let it bother him too much, since he didn't wish to come off as a pervert. He knew that Lee probably wouldn't find that attractive, but it was hard not to imagine.

Once he thought the traitorous blush was gone from his face, he made himself a glass of water to take outside. The prince walked outside and past the three men who were working on the finishing touches on the wagon, and to the pasture fence to lean against. He was going to wait if they needed anymore help, and assist them if they did.

After a while of him simply looking at the scenery of his horse grazing in the pasture, he looked back just in time to notice Naruto take his shirt off. He was lean and fit, but Gaara just glanced back at his horse, seemingly unfazed.

Then Kiba spoke and brought the attention of the prince back on the trio. He took his shirt off as well, and Gaara noticed his skin was a bit darker and it didn't seem tan. Although, he was not as muscular as Naruto was. Still, Gaara was unfazed, but this time he kept his eyes on the three working men, slowly revealing themselves one-by-one. Now if only number three would take his off too, that is what the young prince was waiting for.

Then the prince's fantasy became a reality when he saw Lee claim that it was a bit 'hot' and take his shirt off to help cool down. Gaara has never seen anything like it in his life. He paused; perhaps even stopping his breathing for what was visible in front of him.

Never has the young redhead seen another man topless before, except for his own brother, but that was normal sometimes when he would work in the stables or try and work out in general. But this, this was much different.

Gaara's body quivered as he stared at Lee indefinitely. Eyes wide, and breath caught in his throat, he was handsome as hell, not to mention the rush of blood heading towards his face, and below as well. Oh, how he could imagine himself running his fingers over those abs, feeling them flex beneath his fingertips. His own body pressed up against Lee's, completely breathless, as he would be cradled gently in his strong grasp. And that tan… He has only heard of these men in fairytales. Yet, here he is, right in the flesh, and best of all, he belongs to the prince.

The young redhead felt his palms getting sweaty, and didn't even notice at all the drink in his hand, the water swishing around from his shaking. What brought the princes attention back to earth was when the glass slipped from his grasp and hit the grassy ground. Luckily, it didn't break, but it made the prince look down at what he dropped, and made him gasp.

Gaara's eyes widened horribly, as he gasped again, and blushed even further, his face a tomato red. Quickly, he covered himself from his 'problem' and rushed inside of the house, trying his best not to be seen by Lee, mostly. "shitshitshitshitshit!" he thought with panic, as he ran inside the house and to Lee's bathroom.

Turning the water on, he prayed that it was on cold and splashed his heated face with the water. He couldn't believe himself! Getting hard over just the look of Lee topless! He just hoped that Lee didn't see him, he was already embarrassed enough.

**JapanEmoGirl**  
Lee, like Gaara hoped, did not see him run into the house, but continued working on the wheels. Kiba and Naruto, however, were trying their best to not laugh as loud as they could. They were so evil, they both decided. Poor Gaara. Lee looked up at the laughing duo, and gave, what felt like, the millionth confused look of the day, "What is so funny?" He asked.

Naruto and Kiba finally stopped laughing, and got back to work, "N-Nothing," Naruto stuttered, bravely. He will always tease Gaara about this. Whenever he gets the chance.

Finally, after an hour or two of working, the wheels were put in place. Lee threw the extra wheels in the back, and clapped his hands together. Done. He grabbed his shirt, and pulled it on, sense it was getting dark and chilly. He walked in the house, Naruto and Kiba following his example, "Well, it's been fun, but I gotta bounce," Naruto yawned, "I'm way too tired to stay and chat."

"Yeah, me too," Kiba rubbed his eyes, "see ya, Lee."

Said raven haired male waved at his leaving friends, and shut the door behind them. He then collapsed on the couch, "Boy, what a day," he groaned and rubbed the back of his neck.

**XxGaaraloverxX  
**To the prince's luck, the water seemed to have cooled him off. He wouldn't know how to explain himself being in the bathroom for an extended period of time and with him moaning behind it. The last thing that he wanted to do was to jerk off in Lee's bathroom, thinking about him. He would have to teach those guys a lesson. He knows that Naruto and Kiba were in on this and practically making Lee take his shirt off right in front of him. If only Lee knew how he tortures him. The redhead knows that if Lee does this on a regular basis, he won't be able to contain it for long.

With a dreaded sigh, the prince made his way into the living room. His hair was soaked and he was cold, but it was better than being hot and horny thinking about the shirtless-hotie outside. He knows that he can't go out there; it is too dangerous with him at this state. He will be unable to contain himself. So he just busied himself by picking up a book off of the nearest bookshelf and reading something. Not thinking about Lee will help die down his 'problem' so he won't be tempted to grab the older male and push him into the nearest closet and make the older male take him as he is.

After about an hour or two reading this boring book, he heard the back door open. He was around half-way finished with it, and it has definitely cleared his mind of any perverted thoughts from earlier. Gaara got up and put the book away, and watched as Kiba and Naruto were getting ready to leave for the night, but planning on Kiba to come back of course for their nightly run to the castle. "Alright, thank you very much for helping fix Lee's wagon, Naruto-kun and Kiba-san." The prince was putting away the evil thoughts of him taking his revenge on them for giving him the most embarrassing moment of his life, and decided to thank them for their hard work.

The prince looked over at Lee as he sighed and collapsed on the couch. He understands that poor Lee was working hard on that wagon, and even saw him rub at his neck and shoulders a bit. "Does your neck and shoulders hurt? Would you like me to massage them?" The redhead asked, already reaching a hand to his stiff shoulder and working out the knots.

**JapanEmoGirl**  
"Oh, no that's okay-" Lee stopped talking when he felt Gaara's fingers dig into his sore shoulders. He let out a moan of satisfaction, and leaned into the touch, "never mind. Keep doing what you're doing."

He closed his eyes, and started to relax more, and daydream. They just finished the wagon, but it was too late to go and run off. They'll have to do it tomorrow. That didn't bother Lee, so long as he had his love, he's fine, "Gaara-kun, have you always been this good with your hands?" He asked without thinking.

As Gaara hit a tense area, Lee twitched slightly, and his hands shot up a few inches from his lap, "ow..." he groaned under his breath. He relaxed quickly after, as the sudden pain left as quickly as it came. He smiled and sighed, "You'll have to do this more often~."

**XxGaaraloverxX  
**Poor Lee, he really did have a lot of kinks and knots locked into those sore muscles. It seemed to be the first time he has ever received a massage of any kind. Just by the feel of it, Gaara could tell that he has been working hard, and using his shoulders and upper back a bit too much. After this in order to help fully relax his muscles he would need a nice hot bath to ease it.

The young redhead smiled when Lee gave into his touch, and slid his way behind Lee and curled his legs up, so Lee could have something to lean on. Gaara made sure that Lee's head was resting against his chest, and he continued to work on getting those tricky knots out, with both hands on each shoulder. He was easy on him, making sure to take his time on pressing his thumbs and fingers into the spots that were the least stressed before moving onto the harder and more painful knots that would take a bit more maneuvering to get lose.

It made him smile to see Lee so relaxed in his arms. He was glad to give Lee some relief, especially when it came to relaxing his sore body. The prince knew how to massage only because he has received them many times at the palace. He never really needed them, but it was a nice way to help him relax and think. Although, he would not trust just anyone with the job. There was only one person he would trust into touching him like that, and it was Ino. The woman was chatty, but she had very gentle hands. The prince was very fragile and needed someone to respect that. She, of course, loved to massage the prince of Suna, and he always thought that she had a crush on him. It would never work out though, not that Gaara didn't like her. She was more of a friend than anything else.

The redheaded prince blinked and paused for a moment, gently grasping onto those strong shoulders, and swallowed when Lee asked him that. The blood, once again flew south, as he only imagined using his hands to please his love in 'another way,' making a stunning blush flow onto his cheeks. He cleared his throat, and spoke "hehe… I have n-never b-been told th-that~…. B-But I w-would get massages at the p-palace f-frequently."

The prince faltered a bit from his train of thought, and pinched a nerve, making Lee jump and cry out a bit in pain. Gaara flinched and jerked his hands away for a moment, "I-I'm so sorry, Lee-kun…!" He said quickly, as he got to work massaging that nerve to keep it calm and forcing Lee's body to relax. The prince blushed further, and looked down at Lee happily, "Of course Lee-kun~… I will be more than happy. Just let me know whenever you need one."

Moving his hands around more and feeling through the strong muscles that defined out his shoulder, Gaara couldn't help but to have his mind wonder. His own hands touching Lee's skin was getting to his head a bit. He was so strong, and just feeling those hard muscles underneath of his fingertips were driving him crazy. After he pinched that nerve, he scavenged around to find anymore knots and kinks and was sure that he got most of them; right now he was simply enjoying himself by touching and feeling for himself what a strong man Lee was. His mind filled with fantasy thoughts of him and Lee between the sheets and him getting a real feel of those strong, masculine, muscles.

The prince's eyes were lidded, concentrating on nothing in particular. His lip was bitten between pearly white teeth, and his breath was shallow. He prayed to the heavens that he wouldn't have the same problem as before. This time he didn't know if he could control himself, he was already losing it, slowly. "Lee-kun…? I-I love you~…" He said softly as he leaned down and kissed Lee's left ear, taking a chance to rest his head on that same shoulder and slide his hands down Lee's chest; taking the fabulous moment to familiarize himself with the feel of those abs through the taller males shirt, before folding his arms over Lee's chest.


	13. Chapter 13

**JapanEmoGirl  
**Lee shook his head to the apology, and smiled a smile that told Gaara it was okay. He closed his eyes and continued relaxing in Gaara's arms. It felt right. Being here and being with Gaara. Like he belonged with the redhead. His slender, piano fingers dancing a slow dance on his shoulders. Gaara's fingers really were magic. Wonder if they're good with-

No. Lee will not think such a thought. Unbelievable, dishonorable, be respectful towards your love, dammit. Don't think about how cute he'd look with his legs up over his head. No no no, don't think about how adorable his Gaara would be huffing and begging for more.

Lee almost made a look of realization of what he was thinking outside his mind. No way was Gaara ready for that kind of step; they weren't even married, yet. Lee was raised, mostly by his mentor, to be a gentleman. And waiting until the other was ready is part of that. Lee would wait his entire life; sex doesn't matter to him as much as Gaara being with him does.

Lee smiled at Gaara's words once he said them, and wrapped his arms around the redhead, locking them to make sure Gaara doesn't try and get away, "I love you, too, Gaara-kun," he whispered in his ear, "forever and always," Lee let go and grabbed one of Gaara's hands, bringing it to his lips and kissing it gently and lovingly, "because, as much as you might hate it, you're my Prince." He looked at Gaara in the eyes, his eyes filled with love and happiness.

**XxGaaraloverxX  
**As much as Gaara hated to be referred to the "prince of Suna" he would gladly allow Lee to call him by that royal name. That was the love of his life, and he was the redhead's knight in shining armor. Just as he used to play as a child, Lee had protected him. "I will always be your prince Lee-kun~. Just as long as you can be my knight in shining armor, always protecting me." Gaara claimed happily, snuggling into Lee's hold he had onto him, not allowing him to escape.

Just being in this intimate moment made the young prince think about what would happen in the future. He has been acting strangely today, simply by curling in Lee's grasp early in the day, begging for attention: and even getting physically stimulated by looking at Lee topless. Even now, the prince was trying to keep himself calm by thinking about that boring book that he read, it was about some weird old man in a boat or something, if he can remember through the haze. Lee's scent was merely driving him crazy.

The smaller redhead himself didn't know when he will be ready for sex in general. He has assumed himself as being the potential bottom, only because he chooses so. He is frightened of the pain it will bring, but also eager for the pleasure that awaits him. He doesn't wish to rush Lee at all, and is willing to wait until he is completely ready before making any move on him. Since puberty he has never really experienced any sexual feelings towards another person, and this is the first time he has felt anything like that. It was a bit scary, but exhilarating at the same time. If only he could pursue those hormones and take control of what is making him, basically, have puberty all over again.

Sadly, Gaara knew that he had to wait patiently. Jumping strait into sex probably isn't what Lee would want; he seems too mature for that. It didn't damper the prince's spirits any further, though. Slowly, the prince would continue to push the older male's boundaries until he either caves in or pushes back. He hopes that he will simply give into his desires, but he is also scared that he will frighten Lee and chase him away. That is the last thing he wishes to do, but he still hopes that he will notice some of his silent signals and take them into note.

**JapanEmoGirl  
**Lee gave a chuckled, and looked out the window that was in the room. He blinked, and slowly stood up, carrying Gaara for a while before setting him down, "I think you have a date with Kiba, right?" He smiled at the redhead, "Naruto told me about it. It's almost time to go and meet him," he kissed Gaara softly on the lips, and pulled back only a few centimeters away, "be careful, Gaara-kun. I'll be here when you get back."

He smiled and waited for Gaara to take his leave. Naruto told him that Gaara and Kiba were going to the castle tonight, but he didn't say why. No matter, he trusted Kiba to take care of his love. And, he trusts Gaara to care for himself, as well. Lee could tell Gaara had a lot of strength, but he didn't show it. Lee made a mental note to himself to teach Gaara from basic fighting moves in the future. Once all that is already planned is done.

The raven haired male just thought a pained thought, but kept his smile to Gaara wouldn't see. What if he didn't love him enough? Gaara has wanted to hug and be with Lee all day, he could tell, and he didn't even look in his direction! Sure, he was working on the wagon all day, but the moments they did have for each other were not as loving as Lee wants it. He wants to show, prove to Gaara that he loves him. That he'll do anything for him in a blink of an eye.

That's when Lee got an idea. He'll do something great when Gaara's gone. It'll be the best thing. The plan was all forming together in Lee's head. He couldn't wait to get started on it.

**XxGaaraloverxX  
**The young prince blushed a bit as he was lifted, then placed down onto his feet. Looking up at Lee with sad-like eyes, he had forgotten about meeting the brunette by the barn. It almost made him a bit sad that he would have to leave his Lee again tonight as well. To be honest, it was a real buzz-kill. He was truly enjoying himself, but he has a relationship to mend, he had made a promise, and can't break it. "O-Oh, I had forgotten… Alright…" Gaara said softly, as he pressed into the kiss Lee gave him. "I will, Lee-kun. I will try and get back sooner than last night." The prince said to his love as he turned to leave the nice warm house.

As soon as he closed the back door he sighed, already missing the taller male. He had a job to do though, and had to get to work. Quickly, he made his way across the dark field to the pasture fence, whistling for Shukaku. Of course, he could hear a distant whinny, and the sound of galloping footsteps through the darkness of the night. Before the prince knew it, there was Shukaku awake and happy as ever to see his master calling to him. "Good boy, Shukaku~…" The prince praised as he opened the gate for his animal to fallow him.

Gaara walked over to the barn, his horse ultimately fallowing him regardless, and blindly searched for the lantern that Lee had in the barn he saw earlier. With a tap of his fingers against the knowing metal and glass lantern that he knew, he patted the area next to it and found the matches conveniently placed next to it. Taking a match out of the box, he scraped it against the side, igniting a flame that made Shukaku spook a bit, backing his ears and cocking his head back. Slowly, the redhead lit up the lantern and closed the lid to it so it would allow him to see and tack up his horse, shaking the match in his hand to put out the small flame.

Since the barn was cleaned nicely, Shukaku's tack was nicely placed right alongside Lotus' old western tack, the brushes nicely placed beside the equipment in a little basket. Taking a brush, the prince began to brush off the Frisian of the dirt it acquired from being in the field. Luckily, he didn't get too dirty, but probably after this ride he will need a bath. Placing the brush back, he retrieved a hoof pick to pick out Shukaku's hoofs of dirt and rocks it might have gotten in his shoe.

Once finished, Gaara put everything back where he found it, and retrieved Shukaku's tack. A beautiful black saddle with a white finish and floral design, made of pure leather and with stainless steel stirrups. A saddle blanket was thrown over the horses back, and fallowing, the decorative saddle, fitting him perfectly. A girth was grabbed as the prince attached it to one side and walked over to the other to secure the saddle in place neatly. This time he would be riding stirrup-less, knowing that Kiba would need to be secured safely. Shukaku's natural behavior could be determined by the young prince, so it was easier for him to stay on; to add to it, he has ridden the animal bareback many times. Even when he was young, he would love to simply lay down on Shukaku's back while he grazed and doze off.

Professional grade boots were placed on the horses front and back legs, along with bell boots. Lastly, Gaara walked up to the front of the horse and stroked his head gently as he removed his halter, replacing it to where the bridle used to be, and put on Shukaku's bridle. Gaara flipped the reins over the horses head and neck and placed them on his withers, as he pulled down both of the stirrups. Quickly, before he left, he opened the lantern and blew out the fire, so he wouldn't burn Lee's barn down by accident. The prince retreated back to his Frisian and placed his foot inside of the stirrup on the left side of the horse, and mounted with a small grunt of effort, clicking his horse to walk outside of the barn as he situated himself, pulling his position in the saddle a bit further towards the horse's neck for Kiba to ride on the rear of the saddle.

Once outside, Gaara stopped his horse and released his feet from the stirrups and let them hang as he sat and waited for Kiba to arrive.

**JapanEmoGirl**  
Once Gaara walked out the door, Lee immediately sprang into action with his plan, running around the house, and making sure he had everything before putting stuff together. This was going to be great, no, fantastic, for Gaara. This might be their last night in this house, and Lee wants it to be memorable. For both he, and his redhead.

Out somewhere else near the house, Kiba walked slowly to where he was supposed to go. Ideas of what Gaara wanted was running through his head, but none of them believable. What could the Prince want? When Naruto told him to come, he seemed excited and happy. Could the blonde have something to do with this? Does he need help in anyway, and Gaara is somehow involved? See, nothing seemed believable to the brunette. Whatever Gaara wanted to see him for, it better be good. He's missing sleep he could have. He planned to sleep in the following morning.

Finally, Kiba arrived at the house, walking straight to where Naruto told him to meet Gaara. When said redhead came into view, he stopped and looked at the settled Prince. He was on a horse, because...? "Gaara-sama?" He whispered once he got closer, "I-I'm here. What is it you need?" He was a little too afraid to ask.

**XxGaaraloverxX  
**Gaara grinned when he spotted the person he has been waiting for, and jerked his head in a 'come here' motion. "Perfect, I am glad you showed up. Come, mount Shukaku, we have a long ride ahead of us." Gaara knew that he had to be in front to lead the horse, and he prayed that the Frisian wouldn't fuss about having another person mount him. He was a bit picky when it came to other people, probably to the fact that Gaara was the only person to ever really ride him at all.

With a sly grin, he still wasn't planning on telling him what the real deal was. He had figured that the reason why Lee took his shirt off was because of him and his accomplice, Naruto, and brought on the most embarrassing moment of his life. Now it was his turn. "You will see soon enough. Until then, let's go we don't have all night, I am sure you would like to return home." Or perhaps not~. Gaara had a feeling that Kiba would prefer to stay at the place that he is going tonight.

Next were the instructions, he had to make sure to inform Kiba about Shukaku's behavior. "Mount from the left of him, and place your left foot in the stirrup to get on. Place your other foot in the stirrup on the other side, and hang onto me. Do not worry about Shukaku, he might bicker a bit but he knows better than to buck when I am on his back."

**JapanEmoGirl**  
Kiba stared at the horse for a good while, and his eye twitched. He really didn't like horses. He didn't know why, but horses just always gave him a chill, and they'd always scare him to death whenever he rode one. Clearing he throat once Gaara was done with his words, and slowly made his way over to the horse, hesitatingly touching the giant beast, giving a forced, scared crooked smile, "N-Nice horse," he mumbled out, "b-be good for me, kay?"

He gently placed his left foot in the stirrup, and slowly picked himself up, losing his balance for only a moment. Kiba quickly grabbed onto Gaara, suddenly scared for his life, and, with no moment to spare, swung his leg around the horse and shivered. Still hanging onto Gaara as if his life depended on it, "I'll have you know," he said after a while, "I'm scared of horses. So, whatever you're bringing me too better be fucking worth it."

He felt bad for cursing, but he couldn't help it. He was scared shitless, and he felt like he could fall any moment. What made it worse was that Gaara said that they have a long ride. Well, if Gaara was going to make his suffer, he'll return the favor.

**XxGaaraloverxX  
**As Kiba approached, Gaara made sure to tighten his reins and keep Shukaku in check. He could already sense his horse getting weary from Kiba's presence. When the brunette placed a hand on his flank, the horses head jerked up and he snorted ears aback. "Shukaku… Be nice…" Gaara growled, and the horse merely shook his head and clamed back down for his owner's sake.

Kiba was lucky that Gaara had strong thighs, since when he lost his balance he grabbed onto Gaara for safety and hanging on. If he wasn't strong in the legs, he would have fallen off of the horse as well as Kiba. With a small laugh, he grabbed onto Kiba's left arm with his own and assisted him in mounting behind him. Glancing down at both sides of him, he made sure that Kiba was secure in the stirrups, and glanced back at him as he spoke his fear.

"Worry not, Kiba-san~. I am sure that all of this will be worth it soon enough~." Gaara giggled at his purest form of revenge, as he witnessed Kiba scared out of his mind. Revenge was sweet after all. Shukaku had his ears back from having the stranger mount him, but kept his cool because of his owner atop of his back as well. Shukaku did not wish to harm his master, but was uneasy of the scared human mounted on him.

"Just hang onto me and you will be fine, trust me." Gaara said as he finished off his inner achievement of revenge for earlier. With a click and a small kick to the horse below, they were off with a trot that soon transformed into an extended canter. Who says that the prince can't have a bit of fun, scaring the life out of him while he is at it?

It might take the horse a bit of time to warm up into a gallop from the extra weight on his back, but he knew that Shukaku was strong and could take on the challenge of sprinting with the weight of two people. It was going to be a bit bumpy, but as long as Kiba hung onto Gaara, he should be fine and unable to get flung off. Their pathway was going to go through the forest just as before and back to the wall that was crumbling. He planned on letting Kiba climb over using Shukaku as a stepping stool while Gaara would jump the horse as he did before, letting Kiba mount back on once he is on the other side, and make their way back to the stables. Hopefully, Kankuro would be there, it wasn't that late in the night, and he should be finishing feeding the horses around this time, he hoped that he managed to catch him before he went inside of the castle, then he would never catch him.

**JapanEmoGirl  
**Kiba trembled in his seat, and clung onto Gaara tightly. No way was he letting go, why was Gaara being so cruel? Kiba closed his eyes tight, and whimpered a little, "I'mgonnadieI'mgonnadieI'mgonnadie-" he stopped when the horse began to move.

If possible, Kiba tightened his hold and his whimpering became loud squeals and shrieks, "You're an e-vil p-p-person!" He whisper shouted at the redhead, who he was now depending his life on. This was all too scary; he just wished he could get off this damned horse as quickly as he could.

**XxGaaraloverxX  
**Hearing Kiba's whimpering of terror and cries of fear almost made the redhead laugh evilly, but he resisted the urge. Only because he was basically being crushed by the arms wrapped around him. At least he was doing what the prince had said, and he was safe from being thrown off. The prince was the one who should have been frightened since he was going without the aid of stirrups, but of course his years of horseback riding aided in his ability to stay mounted without the need of stirrups.

The young prince did, however, snicker back at the passenger as they rode along the dark forest. They even had to jump over a couple of small fallen logs on their trip to the crumbling wall, and they made it in a decent amount of time, even at a slowed galloped pace that they were at.

Shukaku slowed, as they approached the wall, the horse knew that he would have to jump it once more, like the night before and was becoming eager, trotting his way close to the wall with a stifled neigh. The horse knew that he couldn't leap that wall with two people on his back, so he trusted his owner to find a secondary solution on how they were going to jump it. "Did you have fun?" Gaara teased, happy to be on the other end of the stick this time.

The prince slowed the horse down, as he lined Shukaku up parallel to the wall. "Alright, we are here, climb over the wall, and careful not to be too loud. It is about a seven foot drop, I will meet you over on the other side, so make sure you clear the way so you don't get trampled. Mount back on when we get on the other side, we still have a bit of a ways to go, and it is faster on horseback." The prince said softly, trying not to attract attention, just in case the guards were patrolling. He doubted it, though, since no one ever comes back towards the edge of the castle grounds where the forest is.

**JapanEmoGirl**  
Kiba finally lowered his shrieks to whimpers again, and didn't answer Gaara's first question. He just gave him a terrified look, "If I did anything to deserve this, I'm so, so sorry," he mumbled.

Nodding to Gaara's instructions, Kiba climbed off the horse with jelly for legs, and slithered his way to the wall. Finally happy to be off that horse, he joyfully climbed the large wall. It didn't take much time; sense he's been climbing things for years. He sat at the top of the wall, and started to climb down, just realizing what he was going into.

That castle? Why would Gaara- oh, no. Kiba stage whispered from where he was, praying to the Heavens that Gaara could hear him, "Why are we here? What are we- ah!" His foot slipped, and he fell to the grass with a thud. The wind was knocked out of him, and he just lay there for a while, not moving.

Finally getting his breath back, he slowly stood up, rubbing his back and taking in deep breaths of air. His eyes began to water, and he blinked the wetness away. A sloth could beat him at the speed he was going, as Kiba made sure he was out of the way, far enough.

**XxGaaraloverxX  
**Gaara giggled at Kiba's plea and apology. "No need to be sorry, Kiba. By the time we reach the end of our journey, you will probably be thanking me, instead." The redhead smiled as he watched Kiba climb the tall wall, he would have let him use Shukaku's flank as a stepping post to help him climb, but he probably wished to get off this death trap as quickly as possible.

The redhead laughed a bit when he heard the thud from the other side of the wall, and let himself put his feet back into the stirrups again, and resituate himself back in the saddle for the leap of faith. He didn't quite hear what he mumbled, but he must have been surprised to see the castle right when he reached the top of the wall.

Gaara pulled Shukaku into a trot and backed away from the wall to give him enough space to make the jump, and dashed forwards with a gallop. The hoof beats pounded the ground as the majestic horse leaped the wall, just barely missing Kiba who have just gotten away in time.

The prince slowed the horse to a trot and made his way back to Kiba, pulling his feet out from the stirrups, and pulling himself forward. "Surprised?" He asked as he jerked his head once more to mount the horse and continue their ride towards the stables; he thinks that they would make it in time if they gallop and hurry, he can't wait to see the look on both of their faces when they see each other after so long. "Come, we haven't much time. There is more that I have to show you."

**JapanEmoGirl**  
It all made sense, now. This is why Gaara brought Kiba here. The only possible explanation! Gaara wanted some things from his used-to-be room, and he brought Kiba along to help carry stuff! Couldn't he just ask Lee, though? The dog lover really didn't want to run into his old 'friend'. But, he's willing to help a friend out.

He looked at the dreaded horse again, following the same steps he did before. Again, almost falling, and clinging onto Gaara for dear life. Please, please let this end.

"There," Kankuro wiped sweat from his brow and rolled up his sleeves from the heat in the barn. He just finished feeding the animals for the night. The hat wearing male took a drink from his water bottle, and sat on a hay barrel, watching a few kittens roll around their mother. He smiled at the sight; he had always adored his cats.

Kankuro's mind traveled to his brother. Didn't he say he was leaving soon? He probably left Konoha, already. Kankuro wondered who the man he loves is. He just hopes Gaara will be happy. He loved his little brother, and him being happy is one of the best things that could happen in Kankuro's life.

**XxGaaraloverxX  
**The prince grinned again when Kiba flailed a bit when mounting, and assisted him once more. He planned on sort of "dropping off" the brunette leaving him happily in his brother's care. He knows that he will take care of him.

When he checked to make sure that Kiba was good and secured, Gaara pushed Shukaku into a strait gallop down the side of the wall heading towards the barn. "Hang on Kiba-san! We are going to be galloping!" He had to have made it in time. If not, he would have to breach the walls of the actual castle trying to go in unseen. Which would be impossible, he would be caught for sure. He knew that with his horses loud hoof beats, his own brother should hear them coming towards the stables when they get closer, especially at this speed, he should be there within minutes. Although, he wished to pop in a bit uninvited and surprise them both, but if he sees him coming a mile away, then it was no big deal, it wasn't as if Kiba could run away or hop off of a galloping animal.

To his luck, he spotted the jumping fields, and eventually the barn. Gaara slowed his horse to a canter and stopped a couple of yards away from the royal stables. "We are here, Kiba-san." Gaara said, as he dismounted, and tied Shukaku up to the fence-line to the jumping course. "Shh, fallow me…" the prince said softly, as he slowly snuck up to the same area as he did the previous night, making sure that Kiba was behind him, and out of the view of the doorway.

To his luck, he caught his brother watching a couple of kitten's play, as he relaxed a bit from finishing feeding the horses for the night. Perfect.

**JapanEmoGirl**  
Kiba tried to keep his muttering and begging in a minimum, and nearly fell off the horse when trying to get off. He followed Gaara, like he was told. Right behind him, Kiba grew worried that he might run into the older Prince. He remembered a lot of this stuff, sense he used to sneak around a lot here. Kiba stopped behind Gaara, almost running into him. Geez, why was he being so clumsy tonight? The last time he was ever this clumsy was years ago, back when Kankuro was still in the picture. Kiba guessed it was the terror, and/or excitement, of seeing him again.

Kiba stood up straight, crossing his arms, "What is it, Gaara-sama?" He asked in a whisper. He was really starting to get curious. What was it that Gaara found important enough to bring Kiba along with him?

**XxGaaraloverxX  
**The young redheaded prince looked back at Kiba and grinned slyly, as he asked him a question. It seemed that Gaara couldn't contain the smirk off of his face as he suddenly, and silently, grabbed Kiba by the arm and pulled him into direct view, and dragging him towards where his brother sat. "Kankuro-nii-san! I bring you a parting gift!" Oh, how revenge was horribly sweet~.

The cocky prince looked back at Kiba, and finally revealed his surprise "I have brought you here Kiba to see my older brother, the renowned first prince of Suna, Kankuro." The grinning redhead said as he pulled Kiba's arm as he reached his brother, practically shoving him into Kankuro. "I hope you both like my present." He joked a bit, before getting serious in a split second with his brother.

"Nii-san why didn't you tell me you had the same desire that I had?" Gaara asked, preparing to scold his older brother for breaking the man that he brought along with him so he could mend them together again.

**JapanEmoGirl**  
Kiba almost asked what the smirk was for, until he was dragged in the barn and shoved in front of Gaara- wait, wait. Kankuro?! Kiba looked up to see a very familiar face he still sees in his dreams, and his eyes went wide. It was no mistake that was definitely his first and only love standing right there in front of him. Gaara brought him here because of Kankuro, not for stuff!

The elder Prince automatically stood at the sound of his brother's voice, quickly looking at him. He's eyes, also, widen with fear as he saw the one and only dog lover in front of him. Kankuro's jaw dropped, and he lost his words. As Kiba was shoved forward, Kankuro took a few steps back, trying to stay at the same distance. No way was he going to risk it and charge right at him, his mind had to progress what was going on.

Both men stared at each other for a good while, non-finding words to speak. Their eyes did all the talking. What are you doing here? Why are you here? What are you going to do?

"K-Kiba...?" Finally, Kankuro spoke first. His voice was stunned, and quiet. Kiba could barely hear it.

That seemed to give Kiba a bad impression, and he spun around to give Gaara a sad, teary look, "I told you I didn't want to come here," he bravely said through threatened tears, "why did you bring me here? He doesn't want to see me, I said. And... I-I don't want to see him." Of course he was lying through his teeth, but no one had to know that.

**XxGaaraloverxX  
**Gaara immediately felt horrible, the smirk wiped clean off of his face when he saw those teary eyes look at him with such sadness. It made him almost regret coming here, but he had to leave his family with some sort of stamp of approval from the prince before he leaves for good. There was no way he was going to let Kiba live a life deprived of his love in his life. It would haunt the redhead for the rest of his days.

"K-Kiba, you are lying to yourself!" The young prince started, hoping to send an urgent message to both of them that love should prosper, not stay hidden forever. "I brought you here so Kankuro could see the mistake that he made on that day, all those years ago!" He wasn't mad at the brunette not at all. His anger was more towards his older brother. "And as for you…!" The younger kin growled out harshly walking up to his older brother, welcoming himself to get in his personal space.

"Kankuro, I am ashamed of you! How could you break his heart like this?! I have heard the damage you have caused to him, and probably to yourself as well!" The redheaded prince preached on, his angry aquatic eyes focusing on those that belonged to his older brother. "I have seen the heartache in his eyes, and I know that he loves you dearly!" The angered redhead continued, lowering his voice a bit from his outbursts. "A little birdie told me about the times past, when you and Kiba were together. When you two were happy, and in love! When you told him that heart-wrenching statement, he spiraled into depression." Gaara felt a bit bad leaving Kiba out of the argument, since it felt like he wasn't even there and he was clearly talking about him right in front of him.

"I have found my love, and I have decided to stay by his side for all eternity, or die trying! I demand, as the righteous Prince of Suna, that you do the same. F-Fuck the law!" The swear seemed a bit out of place for royalty to speak, but he had to get his message across. This speech was actually bringing tears into his own aquatic orbs. He hated to see his own brother kept away from what makes him happy. With a quick move, Gaara clenched his brother into a tight brotherly hug, and whispered into his ear. "Please… do this for me. I am living my dream… I don't want you to give yours up…"


	14. Chapter 14

**JapanEmoGirl**  
Kankuro stared at his brother as he was yelled at. His eyes widening with every word. Kiba said that...? No, no that wasn't true! The other Prince flinched at his younger brother cussed. He slow brought his gaze to Kiba, then to the ground, "No... That's not true at all," he said in a hushed tone, "it was Kiba who broke my heart."

His eyes moved to his brother, and he took a deep breath, "You're right," he started, "we were happy, and in love. Every day would be the best. But, one day, Kiba told me that he never wanted to see me again. Because of the law. I was willing wanting to go and run away with him, but he said no," Kankuro's eyes moved to Kiba once more, "I still love him," he chocked, the gazed back at Gaara, "but he told me he didn't love me anymore."

Kiba frowned and his face made an expression that had horror written all over it. His eyes grew tears, "I-I didn't want anyone getting hurt, Kankuro!" He yelled, "If we were caught, we could have been put to death!"

"Kiba," Kankuro put on a brave look, "death is nothing compared to how I felt when you told me you never wanted to meet again."

**XxGaaraloverxX  
**Gaara kept his gaze concentrated on his brother, but they widened in shock when the tables turned, that Kiba was the one that told him to stay away, instead of what he thought. "Wh-What…?" Gaara said softly, as he looked over at Kiba for reference. "Is that true, Kiba…?"

The redheaded prince looked over at his brother and kept silent, as he listened in on what really happened. It seems that Kiba had told him a different tale, as to hide away the shame and fear. This really shocked the younger prince. Now his anger was spat towards the cowardly Kiba for practically disowning his own brother. "You were the one who did it to Kankuro…? B-But I don't understand, if you two were so happy, why didn't you continue to love him?" Gaara asked and he received the answer as he listened in on what Kiba had to say.

He didn't wish for them to be killed? How horrible. It sickens him that he would shun his own love away just so they could live. The redheaded prince believed that there is no life without love. Gaara would stay by Lee's side until the day they died, no matter what the law said.

The redheaded prince was not going to leave until he knew for a fact that they were going to make up tonight and forevermore. Now his sympathy was towards his own brother, and he felt horrible for yelling at him now. Otherwise he kept silent, as he watched his older brother claim that he still loved Kiba with all of his heart. He couldn't compare how his own brother felt when Kiba smashed his heart into tiny pieces. He knew that if Lee ever left him it would be worse than death.

**JapanEmoGirl**  
"B-But," Kiba huffed, starting to lose feeling in his knees, "Kankuro, if we were ever caught, you'd be disowned by your family, the kingdom! I don't want that for you, I didn't care about me, I just cared about you."

"So, you decided to break my heart?" Kankuro finally lost it. He tightened his fists and growled, angry that Kiba wasn't seeing what he was trying to say, "I was forced to try and find meaning in my life, after what happened. Temari had to; literally, pull me out of my room. I didn't tell anyone what happened, but it was eating me on the inside to know that the only one I'll ever love hates me!" Kankuro tried to calm his breathing, "you didn't ever give me a reason why you left. If you would have told me, then we would have worked it out."

The cat lover sighed, relaxing and looked at Kiba was sad eyes, "I never wanted to leave you, because if I did, then I knew I wouldn't be able to live. You're my reason to stay here, I wanted to come and visit you someday, but I'm too much of a coward to do so. I just want us to be together again."

Kiba stared at Kankuro all through his rant, and wasted no time running over with his jelly legs and jumping into hug. He wrapped his arms around Kankuro, stuffed his face in his neck and stained the Prince's shirt with tears. Kankuro hugged his back, finally happy to have Kiba in his arms again, "... I rode a horse for you," Kiba whispered, "you better feel special."

Kankuro let out a chuckle, and hugged tighter, "I already do."

**XxGaaraloverxX  
**The redheaded prince decided to keep out of the intense conversation between the two angered lovers. It hurt him that Kiba told him a lie from before, trying to make himself look like the victim, and now he was sided with his brother on this argument. Although, he understood what they were coming from. He also felt very nervous at first, loving Lee. But when his love mentioned that they would be running away together, he didn't care about what the law said. If his own family didn't appreciate his own decision, then it is too bad for them. He was happy to know that they approved of his decision to love this man with all of his heart and to fallow his dream, no matter the costs.

The redhead listened to his brother preach on; he had no idea that his brother had such deep feelings for Kiba. It warmed his heart to see him finally telling his love that nothing else mattered except for them being together. That is how Gaara felt with his Lee by his side.

A gentle smile graced the redhead's lips, as he watched the two hug. He had sparked the love between them once again, and this time he hopes that it will turn into a fire that will last for eternity. "Take good care of him, brother." Gaara said to Kankuro as he turned towards Kiba next. "I told you, you would be thanking me by the end of our journey." The prince of Suna smiled, as he turned to walk out planning to leave those two lovebirds alone to get reacquainted with one another again.

**JapanEmoGirl**  
Kiba pulled from Kankuro's arms and looked at Gaara once he spoke. Quickly, the dog lover ran over to the redhead, and hugged him from behind, "Thank you," he said, and let go. Kiba smiled at Gaara, "all that horse riding was really worth it." He still couldn't believe it, him and Kankuro reunited. Finally, after years of depression. Never again, will he do such a thing as deny Kankuro. From now on, he'll hug the fact that he has the older Prince. Speaking of older Prince, said male walked up to the duo, and wrapped an arm around Kiba. He smiled at his little brother, and nodded his head in thanks.

"Don't you have somewhere to be?" Kankuro asked, playfully, "what about that young man you told Temari and me about? Shouldn't you be with him?" he looked down at Kiba, and smiled lovingly, thankful to have the man in his arms again.

"Yeah," Kiba shooed Gaara away, "you've helped us, now get back to your man!" he laughed, and snuggled up to the taller one holding him.

**XxGaaraloverxX  
**The youngest prince gasped as he was nearly tackled by Kiba from a hug behind him. He really did act like Naruto sometimes, and it made him smile that he has done something good for once. With a gentle smile Gaara turned around and returned the hug, but not with as much vigor as the giver. "Your very welcome, Kiba-san. I just hope you don't make that mistake again twice. Value what is precious to you, and never let it go." Gaara said as he let go.

His older brother came up to them both and wrapped an arm around his long lost lover and smiled at him. "heh~, well… Yeah I do actually. But I just couldn't let this be once I found out about you two. It seems that my work here is done~." Gaara said softly, blushing and folding his hands over one another just thinking about the older raven-haired male as they spoke.

Just looking at those two happily reunited made the young redhead already miss snuggling up to his own man waiting at home, but it still warmed his heart all the same. Gaara giggled as he was shooed away by Kiba and his enthusiasm. "Alright, alright~, I will see you both later. Take good care now, farewell." The redhead laughed a bit as he walked back to Shukaku who was still tied up at the fence.

It made his heart soar that he helped his family and a friend. He has kept his promise to Naruto and succeeded. Gaara looked up at his tall horse and petted him gently, "Well, now, it is time for use to be heading home now, don't you think?" Without an answer as suspected, the prince untied the reins and easily mounted, turning the horse around and walking away from the stables. He glanced back at the barn with a smile, before darting off into a gallop back to the crumbling wall to leap across and back out of the castle grounds.

The redhead stood in the saddle as his horse majestically galloped underneath of him. Within minutes they made it to the wall, and Gaara easily leaped across the obstacle that separated the castle from the forest, as he galloped his way home. It wasn't too late, the night was still young, and he would definitely make it home in time for he and his Lee to get a good night's sleep before the big day comes tomorrow when they would leave.

He would miss his family the most, but he would also miss Kiba and Naruto a lot as well. It made him sad that he might not be able to see them again for a long while, but as long as he had Lee, he knew that he would see them again.

~~~

As Gaara managed a record time coming home from the stables, as he trotted his way to Lee's barn and stopped, dismounting. He walked over and lit back up the lantern light, as he started to care for his animal and put him away for the night. With a pat on Shukaku's neck, Gaara un-tacked his horse and made sure to place everything nice and neatly back the way he had it earlier. The saddle on the saddle rack, and replacing the hung up halter with Shukaku's bridle, slipping the halter over the horses ears for a perfect fit. The horse's boots were taken off and placed next to the saddle, as Gaara brushed his horse once more to rid of the dirt that he accumulated from the ride they just had.

With a finishing touch to his horse's hoofs, Gaara clicked softly, and Shukaku obediently fallowed, as the redhead walked his way over to the stall, his horse automatically walking his way inside. The prince pulled the latch over to lock the stall door and petted his horse, "Good-night, Shukaku~. See you tomorrow." He said softly, as he blew out the lantern light, and made his way back to the house.

Gaara slowly walked into the house, trying to be silent. He didn't know if Lee was asleep or not, so he didn't wish to wake him if he was. The young prince made his way into the bathroom and decided to take a quick shower to rid him of the dirt that had accumulated over the past few days. To his luck the water was fairly warm, as he cleaned himself thoroughly.

He grabbed the nearest towel, and dried himself off, making sure to fold his clothes neatly and put his shoes back near the door for him to remember to grab. Then, he just remembered, he had no spare clothing to wear other than the dirty ones he had folded. With a sigh, Gaara wrapped the towel around his body, making sure to cover as much as possible before walking out of the bathroom and up the stairs to Lee's room. He knew that Lee could spare him a few pieces of clothes for tonight.

Pausing in front of the door, Gaara placed his head against it to hear of Lee was awake or not, and made the decision to knock. He didn't wish to suddenly walk in while Lee was accidentally dressing or to shock him with a completely naked prince, save a towel. "Lee? A-Are you awake?"

**JapanEmoGirl**  
Lee nodded in approval at his work, and looked around his room. Everything was perfect. While Gaara was gone, he ran straight out the front door, and picked a few flowers in his front lawn, ran back into the house, up to his room and placed the flowers on his bed. He ran back down the stairs, and looked around for a while, but he finally found a rose scented candle. He rushed back to his room, and closed the door behind him. Lighting the candle, and moved it around the room carefully, making sure to get the scent everywhere. He sat it down on his nightstand, and reached for the flowers.

Lee slowly plucked each peddle from the flowers, throwing them around the room. Once he was done, and moved some around to make sure there wasn't two in one place. Lee lit some unscented candles, so he could see better, and looked around his room. Smiling, and glanced down at himself, only to take double take. He was a mess. Grass stains, and dirt marks from working all day. Lee sighed, and stripped, tossing his clothes in a basket, and getting fresh, new ones. He put them on slowly, not wanting to rush and wrinkle everything.

The raven haired male debated if he should set peddles outside his room to led Gaara there, but he didn't, because he heard a horse nay outside. He gasped, and quickly put on the finishing touches around his room. This will be a night to remember, or his name isn't Rock Lee. He and Gaara will have at least one memorable day or night of this place before he leaves. This is what he thought of: a romantic evening of cuddling and kissing. Maybe something more, but Lee doubted that Gaara wanted to go that far.

He hid next to the door, awaiting Gaara's appearance. It was taking him a lot longer the expected, and Lee was about to go out and see if he was here or not, but he jumped and covered his mouth when he heard the door knock. Scaring him to bits. Ah, there it was! Gaara lovely voice, so beautiful, "Yes," Lee said, slyly, "I am awake. Come in."

**XxGaaraloverxX  
**Gaara sighed in relief, knowing that he didn't wake the older male up from a restful sleep; he knows that he deserves it from working all day on that wagon, and it would make him feel bad if he had to wake him up just so he could barrow some clothing. With a smile, Gaara twisted the doorknob and made his way inside. "Thank goodness, sorry it took a bit longer than expected, I-…" The prince paused completely, as he took in the appearance of the room, and the scent of roses in the air. Aquatic eyes widened, when he saw a beautiful room dimly lit by around a dozen candles, a distinctive red colored on beside their bed, and a littering of pedals over the bed and floor.

The first thing he expected to see was his love lying in bed, but he was not. It wasn't as if he was searching hard enough for him, his gaze fixated on the completely romantic scenery before him. Gaara walked in, gripping the towel tighter around himself, as he made his way into the middle of the room, not catching the hidden taller male beside the door due to it being a bit dark. "Wh-What is…" He knew that this had to be Lee's doing, there was no mistake about it. He has been busy while he was gone, that was for sure. "…a-all of this~?" he finished his sentence as he gave out a soft smile at the scene before him. It was all so beautiful, perhaps Lee was elsewhere in the house, he had to go and find him.

Even so, he hated to leave that wonderful scent of roses, his most favorite flower. So he decided to walk up to the bed, and gently touch those satin sheets. "This is… all so beautiful…" he sighed majestically, as he looked around the room once more, and spotting something standing near the door, It was a sillouette but it looked like Lee, so that is who he assumed was there. "L-Lee…? D-Did you do all of this~…?" Gaara's mind was racing, what did Lee have in store for them tonight?

**JapanEmoGirl**  
Lee's eyes widen when he saw Gaara half-naked, but he had to suck it up. No way was this night going to be ruined with Lee freaking out over a half-naked... sexy, wet redhead with a slender body and little muscles and pale skin... his neck and collar bone exposed- Lee shook his head. No time to think about that, now! His love was talking!

Lee watched Gaara turn to see him, and gave a loving smile, waving rather childishly, "Yes, I did," he started and took a step towards the Prince, his hands behind his back and his steps lazy, "I wanted to do something for you. For our last night here." He smiled around at his work, and turned back to look at Gaara. Once he was close enough, he gave a soft kiss on Gaara lips, and closed his eyes, "Do you like it?"

But, something didn't seem right. Lee thought hard, and nearly slapped himself when he realized it, 'Shit!' he thought, "Gaara-kun, I seemed to forgot something," he said, and gave a nervous chuckle, "pick any clothes you need, I'll be right back." The man walked out the room, and closed the door. He insistently ran to a nearby closet, tearing it open, and dug around in it. He found what he was looking for, sighing in relief and blew the old dust from it. A record player. He looked through the records, and picked out one he thought Gaara would like, picked up both items and shutting the closet door with his foot. He walked slowly back to his room, knocking on the door lightly with his head, "Gaara-kun, are you done?"

**XxGaaraloverxX  
**The smaller male blushed, just realizing that he was still nude. This scenery stole his breath away, and made him forget about everything, especially when he saw those lovely eyes staring back at him. It was a bit strange, though, at first those love filled eyes looked hungry. As if the taller male would simply eat him up if he wasn't too careful. This made a pleasurable shiver run through the prince's spine, as that look went as soon as it came.

When Lee told him that they did for them for their last night here in this home together, he knew that it was going to be a romantic one. Perhaps he didn't need the clothes that he thought he did. He probably wouldn't need them at all-no… no he can't think of such things. It is inappropriate… but all so temping at the same time. The mood seemed perfect, all they really needed to do was to remove the rest of Lee's clothing and a towel and their night could be fabulous. He shook his head, there was no way he would do such a thing and take advantage of Lee's hospitality like that. He probably wanted to simply kiss and cuddle, which the prince didn't mind at all.

The kiss brought his attention back to the man that his thoughts were spiraling around, and smiled with lidded eyes. "I love it, Lee-kun~… This is so romantic~…" Pale hands reached up to gently grasp onto strong shoulders, as Gaara looked longingly into those abyss eyes that seemed to draw him in every time. The prince could already see himself yanking the other man into bed and seeing how their endurance could last, but resisted the urge to practically leap onto the man.

The prince's imaginary eyebrows scrunched together in confusion when Lee claimed that he had forgotten something. What could have he possibly forgotten? This room is perfect; there was nothing else that Gaara could think of that would heighten the romantic tension in the air. Gaara simply nodded, watching Lee run out the room quickly.

The redhead walked over to the bed and sat down folding a leg over the other and thinking what Lee could possibly be getting. Lube? The redhead blushed and shook his head. Absurd! Lee didn't wish to do such a… wonderful, act tonight. Although, the prince praised that luck was on his side and hoped that his seducing could win Lee over for tonight. It would be such a wonderful memory for when they leave to make love in the home that he had stayed with Lee.

Placing a hand on the bed, he ignored his towel for a moment, and didn't quite care if it would slip and fall off. Pale hands gently played with the pedals that littered the bed, they were soft between his fingertips and it made him even more excited to see if he would seduce the older male into this bed with him for a night he won't soon forget. Although, it would be alright if he was denied; he would wait forever when it came to Lee. He was a very patient man, and expected him to do the same with him, but even the prince had his limits, and he feels as though he has far exceeded them.

He heard Lee on the other side of the door call out to him. "Yes, Lee-kun, you can come in…" The redheaded prince said as he watched for his love come inside of his room. Gaara made sure to place both hands on the bed on either side of him, and look over at Lee as he sat with his legs still folded off of the side of the bed. "You know~… I don't think I will need any clothing for tonight, Lee-kun~… Is that alright with you~?" He asked, tilting his head, now it was time to spring out his charm, would the older male fall for it?

**JapanEmoGirl**  
Lee nodded happily, almost opening the door, but froze in place when he heard the other words. His face turned red, and he nearly dropped the record player. Gaara was... seducing Lee? Did he want what Lee thought he wasn't ready for? Lee put down the music player next to the door, and dropped to his knees, putting his hands together in a preying motion, "Oh, Father," he whispered, "if this is a dream, please don't let me wake up soon."

Lee jumped up and nearly shouted, "No no-" his voice cracked. Again. He cleared his throat, and tried again, "no, no," he said in a much deeper voice, "no clothes is fine, Gaara-kun." Well, if the Prince was going to tease him, he will tease back. Lee took off his shirt, and tossed it on the forget record player, he unbuttoned his pants, and let them hang just above his crotch, showing off his lower muscles. He messed his hair up a little, getting it out of place and messy. He smirked at himself.

Lee walked in the room, and he leaned on the door hinge, his arms crossed and smirking, "Hello, Prince," he said as best he could in a deep, sexy voice. It wasn't very good, but give him a break. This was his first time doing something like this.

**XxGaaraloverxX  
**The seated prince sat and listened to his love's response, but it sounded like he really got him stumped behind that door. If only he could see through walls, he wished what Lee's face would have looked like when he said that he needed no clothes for tonight. He heard a light thump, and listened carefully, it sounded like Lee was whispering, but he couldn't make out what he was saying. Is he contemplating with himself, or simply praying to the lords that this moment was too good to be true?

Gaara jolted when Lee practically shouted at him, it seemed negative, but he stammered over his words and his voice cracked. He almost felt a bit saddened at the thought that Lee didn't take the bait like he thought he would, and was about to get up and get dressed but he heard him clear his throat and speak once more, making the younger male pause from getting up. This one wasn't loud, and was spoken in an even deeper voice than before. Then he reworded it, which in turn made the prince's heart flutter with love. He has succeeded.

Aquatic eyes locked onto the door as it slowly opened, waiting to see Lee's reaction in person, and to find out what Lee had forgotten that was so important- "G-Gods…" the breathless redhead whispered as he eyed the most stunning, romantic, and sexy man, now topless and his pants unzipped. Gaara couldn't move his gaze away, as he unblinking eyes jumped around the body that was exposed to him. If he merely got 'hard' before just from earlier when Lee took his shirt off without knowing how it affected him; he had no idea how his body would react when Lee would do it purposely to him and an added bonus with his unzipped jeans.

This has got to be a wet dream. There was no way this sex god was before him, now turning the tables to the, now, defeated redhead. That voice made him salivate, as Gaara gulped trying to keep his body under control. He was on the edge of purely leaping onto the other man and throwing his desires at the attack. The way he called him by his royal name has never rang in his ears so heavenly before, so much lust within that word, it made his heart skip a beat. The redheads body quivered in the presence of this man who had the full control now, the only thing keeping him back was his own consciousness which was slowly dissolving into a lust fueled drive to do nothing but to find a way to press their body's close to one another and release their pent up tension.

That teasing chest taunted him once more, only this time, there was no Naruto and Kiba to stop him from taking what he desires most. They were alone, and that made the little redhead even more excited. "I-I-uh… L-Le-Lee… Oh, gods…" He couldn't even speak coherently. Was this the extra thing that Lee wished to show him? If it was, then forget what he had said before, this really did bring out more romance within the room, and it made the redhead nearly swoon with desire.

**JapanEmoGirl**  
Lees smirk deepened. Damn, he was good. Now, Gaara can't continue their little game. All Lee had to do was take off his shirt and lower his pants a little. Not much to take the Prince's breath away. Though, Lee had to say that Gaara was also looking good. It might be because he was almost completely naked, saved for the towel, and sitting on his bed. He still wet and his face all red. If Lee wasn't trying to be sexy, he would have fell over and take the redhead now with no regrets. But, he had to be as slow and teasing as possible. He'll only break when Gaara gives in.

"Hm? What's wrong, baby?" Lee asked, faking innocents. He walking towards Gaara and lifted his chin with his thumb and index finger. His other hand running up and down Gaara's jaw line, down his neck and lightly brushed against his nipple, before snapping his hand back up to Gaara face.

He looked his straight in his eyes. Lee's eyes filled with lust and wildness, teasing and carefulness, "What do you think?" Lee gave a low chuckle, and leaned down to kiss Gaara jaw line, licking down to his neck and kissing it lightly, "are you ready?"

**XxGaaraloverxX  
**Gaara's entire body jolted, making the towel slide down his chest a bit, exposing it, but still covering what was most important; when Lee spoke out, acting innocent. Those aquatic eyes jerked towards coal-colored eyes, being forced to rip away from molesting him with his own gaze. "N-Nah-N-Nothing…! I-I-I-I-" Gaara gasped harshly, when the object of his desires walked up to him and gripped his chin, forcing him to look at his face.

A shuttering breath of air escaped past the redhead's throat when Lee's hand passed by it. His body was trembling as the calloused hand continued south to lightly brush past an exposed nipple. He thought that he was going to merely faint from the blood rushing to his deep red colored face. Lee really was testing his boundaries. He gulped, as that same hand retreated back to his face, as if that sneaky hand didn't manage to strike a moment with his nipple.

The prince has "never" been this exposed to anyone in his life. He has been trained to be strong, and demanding. Yet, here he is begging without words to this man. His eyes were glazed over with lust, love and a bit of wilderness within those deep black orbs. It was tearing the prince apart, especially when he spoke once again, almost making the younger male jerk with a sharp moan, but he resisted, oh how he resisted.

Finally managing to take a breath, Gaara spoke out softly trying to keep from stuttering "I-…!" He started to say, but was cut off by a pair of gently chapped lips that sparkled on his jaw-line. Those widened aquatic orbs finally rested, closing gently, as he bit his own lips to keep down a deep rumble of a moan from bubbling up into this throat.

Lee broke through his defense, when he continued down to his neck, kissing it lightly. A deep moan passed through gritted teeth, vibrating his throat. He could feel the hot breath from his love dance over his cooled skin from his shower, as he spoke out a serious question so softly, but sounded as loud as a lions roar in his ears. "YES!" The prince yelped, shocking himself that his body spoke before his mind did, pale hands reaching up to press into that chest that he has been kept away from all day. "I-I mean…! Y-Yes, I am…!" Gaara never stutters, Lee was affecting him in so many ways. It was driving him mad with lust.

His breath went shallow, as he panted lightly. The rush of thoughts going through his head, will the prince be patient enough for foreplay? He hopes that he will, it wouldn't be too romantic if they just immediately thrown themselves into sex, but at the moment Gaara didn't care at all. All he wanted was that delicious body pressed up against his.


End file.
